A Paper Crane On The Acheron
by echaryn
Summary: Kill the creature as soon as possible and report back to the base. It's an easy mission, Sabo's had one like it countless times. He's an alpha rank vampire. Nothing should complicate his task. But this particular case makes it difficult for him to follow his orders. This mutated vampire is something else.. [SaboLu] [AceLu] [AceSabo] [Explicit]
1. Chapter 1

**Hello everyone.**

 **So, before you start reading, I guess I should talk a bit about the circumstances surrounding this story, because in all honesty, I am surprised at myself that I actually wrote it.**

 **First of all, I am not the biggest fan of Vampire AUs and you can definitely blame twilight for that. However, I agree that it effortlessly sets quite a setting, there's a lot of potential for sexual tension and sexual scenarios, so I decided to disappoint my fourteen-year-old self who swore to never write a Vampire AU and this came out of it. Well, I tried my best with this. Please be kind.**

 **Furthermore, I actually made an effort to include a lot of "nasty" scenarios the puritan brats on tumblr hate to see. I've seen it more and more, people trying to control what kind of stories we write, what pairing we write and how we write them. And I've grown tired of it, I'm done having people tell me how to write my smut. That was basically the birth hour of this story.**

 **This story will include violence, dom/sub tones, bondage, bloodplay, power imbalance (quite literally) and age difference (Luffy is 25 and Sabo 403). There's potential for A/B/O dynamics if people demand I write it and I am indeed planning to write at least one threesome.**

 **As you can see I don't set myself any moral standard for this fic. This story can go in any direction, I am very open to hearing from people what they think and what they want to see.**

 **Acheron is the river of pain in Greek Mythology, and one of the five rivers of the Underworld.**

 **So, without further ado, please enjoy.**

 **I don't One Piece nor any of the characters.**

* * *

 _"If I cannot bend the will of Heaven, I shall move Hell." - Virgil, Book VII of the Aeneid, line 312_

 **Sabo**

"You can't run anymore."

His words echo within the ruins of the old church and old, weathered wood crunches beneath his shoes as he moves forward. One wall is missing completely, most of the benches are broken and the wood is black from years of enduring punishing rain and snow and hail. He looks around, but sees no crucifixes left in this place that has once been a site to worship God and mourn the death of Jesus Christ. Now it's empty, and the cries of souls long forgotten have seeped into the brittle rocks.

Sabo grins. Not that he has a problem with crucifixes, he has no idea where that fairy tale comes from – but he's glad nevertheless. It makes him feel…more welcome, in a way. The naked, empty walls, the broken altar, the mouldy roof that has partially collapsed – it is all so much more welcoming without the punishing stare of Christ hanging from his cross.

Sabo stands still and lets his head fall into his neck. He grips his scythe a little tighter.

He knows _he_ 's up there. Hiding away like a scared animal, probably licking his wounds from their last encounter earlier tonight. Yeah, Sabo can smell the blood drafting through the air, the sweet-metallic odour that makes his tongue twist with hunger and his nostrils flare to get as much of that delicious scent into his lungs as possible.

A roof beam creaks above him. He still can't see the little bastard in the darkness, but he can hear him, smell him – nearly _taste_ him and Sabo's patience is starting to wear thin.

His target has been hungry for weeks. And he knows that this one is a young one, a fledgling, compared to the many, many decades Sabo has been alive already. In a fight, Sabo will have the upper hand in no time.

Seems like the young one realised that, too.

Sabo grins as he takes in the new wave of fear and stubborn defiance lazily travelling toward him through the thickening air. He hears blood dripping somewhere above and he waits to see where it lands. A few drops of dark, crimson red blood hit the ground fifteen feet from him, close to where the tabernacle used to stand. The fresh smell nearly drives him crazy with thirst.

He looks up again, straining to see a gleaming set of dark eyes glow in the dark.

"See, this went on long enough. I'm hungry, you're hungry – how about we help each other, instead of trying to suck the other one dry?" Sabo says alluringly into the tense silence.

He hears a soft rustling a bit to his right. Looks like the creature is moving a little closer to him. Sabo smiles quietly.

 _Good boy…_

 _Come closer…_

He gently lets go off his scythe and leans it against the wall. Then he lifts his hands in a sign of surrender.

"I know you're hurt. You must be in pain, right? I can make it better, you just have to come down and I can help you," he continues, slowly walking toward the drops of blood on the ground.

The smell intensifies, and thickens with the wave of confusion he notices rushing through the creature's body.

"Come on. I won't hurt you, I promise. I'll let you feed and I'll tend to your wounds. How does that sound?" he smiles up into the darkness of the roof.

He hears more rustling and the sounds of hands and feet moving across old wood. His smile widens, nearly splitting his face in half. He nearly has him where he wants him. This is almost too easy.

"I don't live far from here. It's a house far away from town. It's warm and cosy. You'll have company, you won't be alone anymore, and you'll be safe from everyone else who hunts you. Doesn't that sound good?" Sabo asks wickedly.

"Y-you're hunting me, too!" a raspy voice suddenly makes him freeze and he is hardly able to jump to the side in time.

The creature drops down from above, his razor-sharp claws digging into the ground where seconds ago Sabo's feet have been.

Sabo smirks and jumps back to grab his weapon. Looks like this one is a little smarter than he thought. Well, it's just going to make the kill all the more exciting. He assumes the boy or rather young man was in his early twenties before he was mutated into the creature he is now. He must've been fairly handsome, too, as Sabo notices after a long look at his face. Beneath the dirt and the blood Sabo can see delicate features, high cheek bones, full lips and large, expressive eyes half hidden behind a messy mane of raven hair and which are now blown black with hunger and terror. He snorts. What a shame, indeed.

"Do you _know_ why I'm hunting you?" Sabo asks, perfectly conversational like he was having a bit of a chat with his local baker in the light of a lovely summer day, and not with this soulless creature he's meant to kill in the deep of the night in this abandoned church far away from civilisation.

"Be-because I-I'm not like you," the other rasps and stumbles backwards. His left leg is bleeding heavily, due to Sabo's earlier attack. The sight is hideous enough to even send a chill down Sabo's spine.

Sabo almost feels bad for him. His clothes are torn and hanging off his skinny limbs like rags. He has no shoes, his feet are black from dirt and grime and probably weeks he's spent in the forest, clawing at the last remains of his sanity. His hands are brutally tense, nails sharpened to talon-like claws itching for blood. And his mouth, god –

White, glistening fangs peek out from between his chapped lips, elongated and ready to strike.

He looks miserable, animal-like and haunted. Well, it's probably due to Sabo himself, he's been on the man's heels for the past few nights, but Sabo has seen that look many times in the eyes of these disgusting creatures. These wild ones are not human anymore, and yet are not like Sabo and his kind.

They're mutations, anomalies, ugly results of the mad ambition of scientists. They're the victims in this story – and the most merciful is to kill them, before they lose the last of their sanity to the raging, unnatural blood lust pumped into their veins.

He slowly steps closer. Still relaxed, still calculating. The creature can't run much further anymore. His leg looks bad and he is shaking, he is mere seconds from losing consciousness. Sabo is fairly impressed with him, he's endured longer than must would have, less injured and with more experience. This guy here is a fighter, Sabo can see it in his eyes, beneath the fear and the confusion and the pain. He sees the unyielding will to live.

Too bad Sabo has to kill him nevertheless; it's the best for the both of them. Although Sabo hates the fact that he'll have to see the light vanish from those gorgeous eyes, the idea of being the last one the guy sees somehow fills him with a strange sense of pride and possessiveness.

The guy's back hits the wall and he flinches. His breathing is ragged and rasps through his dry throat. He has his dirty claws lifted before him, defensive but not passive – he hasn't given up yet. Sabo grins and halts in front of him. Close enough to see the soft tremors rocking his body, but far enough to keep away from those claws. They fucking hurt. He still has a long slash across his upper arm from the other night.

"Y-you don't have to do this," the boy whispers hoarsely, surprisingly coherent. "P-Please, I-I haven't hurt anyone."

Sabo sighs unhappily and yet the giddiness rises in his chest. "I know. And we want to keep it that way, isn't that so?"

The boy's eyes widen fearfully and he yells: "I-I'm innocent, I swear I haven't done anything! I won't hurt anyone! I don't _want_ to hurt anyone!"

Sabo shakes his head.

"They all say that. But the thing is, fledgling, that you can't control it. Your urges. They're abnormal, they're unnatural and soon you will notice the overpowering want to drink blood. I know what I'm talking about, I've seen it often enough. You will wander around, killing innocent people and you won't be able to stop."

He halts and is heart strangely aches when he sees the tears starting to form in the boy's eyes. He's dirty, raving mad and dangerous and yet he has such a strange, malicious beauty to him. Sabo, for once, feels his resolve wavering despite his inner voice chiding him to get on with the kill and finally return home.

But something…somehow, Sabo wants the man to understand _why_ he has to do it. He wants him to know that Sabo doesn't hate him and that they're both victims of circumstances. He doesn't want that creature, the boy, to hate him, either.

He steps even a bit closer but stops as a violent hiss is torn from the creature's throat and he lifts his claws higher in warning.

"Listen, you'll be able to get by a few weeks more, maybe. And then you'll succumb to your instincts, believe me. And whatever is left of you will be inside that fucking animal, you'll be a prisoner in your own goddamn flesh and many, many people will suffer because of it. That is what is going to happen if I let you go. You will kill many people if I don't stop you now."

"NO!"

"You –"

The guy bares his fangs in full glory and his face is pulled into such a pained grimace Sabo's chest throbs with pity.

" _NO_ , you don't know that! I'm strong, I won't – I won't fucking hurt anyone, you have to believe me, _please_!"

"It doesn't matter, you will eventually–"

But before Sabo can try to appeal to the man's reason once more the guy suddenly leaps forward, claws first, fangs flashing and blood splashing onto the floor. Sabo can't even believe the amount of stupidity and courage it took to attack him – _him_ , a full-grown, century-old vampire with a fucking scythe in his hand.

They tumble over onto the floor with a heavy thud and Sabo is barely fast enough to catch the guy's claws before they dig into his throat to pull his windpipe out.

"How dare you decide my fate," the guy growls above him, dark eyes burned black with anger and fear. "How fucking _dare_ you want to decide for me, asshole."

Sabo has no problem holding the claws still – after all, he is much more powerful than this mutated piece of shit that refuses to die, however he notices how the guy's fangs get even longer and the gaze trails down Sabo's vulnerable throat. He can actually _hear_ the man's stomach grumble and a violent tremor rocks down the slender body above him.

Sabo's side becomes moist where the creature has his wounded leg pressed against him. He's light as a feather, but he holds a stubborn fierceness around him. Sabo admires his stubborn defiance. He decides to play along for a while longer.

"So, you got me pinned. What do you plan to do now?" Sabo asks relaxed, but watchful. The smell of blood becomes nearly overwhelming.

The creature pulls forcefully, but Sabo doesn't budge. He isn't going to let go off these wrists any time soon. He grins triumphantly up into the mud-covered face. "Seems like we're stuck."

"Let me go."

"No."

"I'll fucking kill you!"

"With what? Your little teeth? Your glare?" Sabo mocks him. "Only one suffering here is you, fledgling. You and my jacket. It's a Ted Baker and you're ruining it."

The guy hisses again and then he actually has the guts to lean down and he digs his fangs into Sabo's forearm.

Sabo is shell-shocked.

But not because of the sudden pain piercing through his arm, but because of the simple audacity this guy shows. What the – does he not _know_ what he's doing? _Whom_ he's fucking biting?

A low moan escapes the lips tightly pressed against Sabo's skin and his eyes widen when he feels the hesitant lap of a moist tongue against the wounds he left. Sabo stares as the guy closes his eyes in bliss and retracts his fangs enough so that eager rivers of red trail down the punctured wounds. The boy greedily laps the fresh blood up like a starving animal.

The sight sends Sabo's thoughts knocking over in his head – this is _not_ how this is supposed to go, he shouldn't fucking feed this creature, he should _kill_ it, but…

But…

Sabo carefully lets go off the man's wrists and instead of using the moment to get away from him, the younger man just claws his fingers around Sabo's arm to keep him still and he continues his meal with all the peace in the world.

Like he wasn't still sitting on top of the guy whose mission it is to kill him. Sabo's stomach tightens with conflicted feelings.

He winces when the fangs dig back into his skin and he lets out a frustrated sigh. Fuck, this isn't how it was supposed to go, but… He carefully eyes the wounded leg limply pressed to his side. The kill would be disappointingly easy now, Sabo wouldn't even need his weapon. He'd drive his own talons out and rip the beating heart out of the boy's chest with the speed of a lightning striking earth. This guy wouldn't even notice his own death that's how quick it would be. And yet...

Sabo just doesn't have the heart to end him here and now. Something holds him back; he doesn't know what it is, but…

Something in his chest aches at the miserable sight of this young vampire. And despite the mutation, despite the unnaturalness of his existence, there's something about him that has captured Sabo's interest. Killing him…would be a shame.

No, not only shame. Sabo has the vague feeling that he should give this more time. Perhaps keeping this guy alive would bring light into this issue of the mutated vampires. Maybe this guy will even be helpful, who knows.

In any case, Sabo doesn't want to kill him just yet.

He knows he'll get in trouble for this, but he doesn't particularly care. He lets the fledgling drink a little longer before he aims a good punch into his neck and switches off his lights for a while. Then Sabo stands up and scoops the skinny, unnervingly light person up in his arms. Then he grabs his scythe and places it on his back. His arm hurts, but compared to the guy's injuries it's nothing.

He switches the IEM in his ear back on.

"Robin? You hear me?"

"Yes. Is it done?"

"Not really. I'm taking him home."

"Wait, Sabo, what –"

He cuts the connection off again.

It's almost four in the morning; not long till sunrise. He will have to hurry to make it back safely and without complications – sunlight does not immediately kill him, only being exposed to it long enough does, however it sure hurts more than anything else he has experienced during those long, long centuries on earth.

He slowly makes his way back to the little house he bought a few months back, one of the many apartments and houses he purchased under wrong names and identities. The forest around him slowly comes back to life; he hears birds chirping in the trees above him, and the rustling of mice and ferrets in the bushes around.

His gaze trails down to the limp man in his arms. His face is relaxed, and the mouth still messy and bloody from his wild meal. Sabo's chest squeezes at the sight. The guy must've been terribly hungry. And also, as Sabo knows all-too well, terribly, painfully lonely.

* * *

 **Luffy**

He wakes up with a heavy skull and a metallic, thick taste coating his tongue that evokes a wave of nausea, but he fights the urge to vomit. Instead he forces his eyes open and he thankfully finds himself in darkness, on top of a soft mattress that is so incredibly warm and comfortable he sighs. He can barely see anything, but he can tell that there are windows a few feet from him. The shutters are shut tightly, only the faintest hint of sunlight comes through the cracks. He is about to turn to his other side and close his eyes again when he freezes mid-movement.

And then realisation kicks in.

He jerks upward and the room starts spinning from the sudden movement. He lifts one hand to press against his throbbing temple and he squints into the darkness. Where the hell is he - ?

Did he…did he die and go to the after-life? Well, he definitely didn't expect death to have such nice king-sized beds. Luffy sniffs the strangely clean air. He recognises wood, an undefined manly scent and musk. The distinct smell of wet earth, old wood, moss and dead leaves he's gotten so uncomfortably used to during these past weeks is missing.

His gaze wanders down to his hands and with surprise he realises that his skin is clean. Yes, no traces of dirt and mud left, his skin is as clean as it used to be, before he…

Before he went to that research facility…

He swallows dryly, his temples beating an unbearable pain through his skull. His throat is parched and he notices a glass of water stand on the nightstand. He greedily swallows it down and immediately the rest of his senses flare back alive and instantly he becomes aware of a dull, deep ache in his left leg. He grits his teeth as he carefully touches it beneath the duvet. A thick bandage has been wrapped around it – and Luffy flinches in horror as he realises that his clothes are missing.

He throws the duvet back. He's clad in a plain white shirt and a pair of grey shorts that are definitely too big for him. He blinks in confusion.

What…

Did he…is he dead? Really now?

"Ah, you're awake."

He flinches and then nearly falls off the bed as he jumps as far away as the headboard of the bed allows. He collides with his back against the wall and hisses at the painful impact and he collpases back onto the mattress. His heart lurches in his chest as he stares at the older vampire in breathless fear.

 _Oh fuck, fuck fuck fuck what is this, is this some sick game before he kills me, what the fuck - ?!_

The blond man comes closer and switches the light on. Luffy narrows his eyes at the sudden brightness, but he keeps his nervous gaze locked on the man. If he attacks now, he can –

"Don't even think of going anywhere."

Luffy doesn't understand and Sabo points at the bottom of the bed. Luffy follows his gesture and sees a metal chain twisted around one leg of the bed. And the chain ends…

"You sick motherfucker," Luffy breathes angrily as he tugs futilely at the shackle closed tightly around his ankle. "You sick fucking asshole."

The man snorts. "I saved your life."

"You wanted to kill me!"

"Yes and yet you're here now. And I'm not planning on killing you…for now."

Luffy snarls at his words and curls the duvet around him, as though the shell of cotton and down feathers could protect him against the unbearable force and speed of a grown vampire. What a joke.

"You're lying," Luffy growls.

"If I wanted to kill you I would've done it already. So relax, I'm not planning on hurting you."

The man's irritatingly blue eyes flash at him as he approaches the bed. Luffy hisses in warning but the man sits down nevertheless, not at all fazed at the obvious aggression going on about a metre from him.

The man's presence is almost unbearable. Luffy doesn't know what it is, but now that he is so dangerously close Luffy feels his hands clench and his throat tighten. His gums tingle and he doesn't understand why, but his fangs elongate again. He hisses and presses himself against the bedhead. He violently shakes his head. This is fucking insane, what is he even doing here, he needs to get home, he needs to see a doctor and get back to his goddamn life, he doesn't want anything to do with fucking vampires.

The man looks at him for a moment before he offers a smirk Luffy doesn't trust one bit. Then he rolls the sleeve of his shirt up and Luffy blinks when he sees two punctuated wounds in his forearm. The sight makes his stomach churn.

"That was you."

"What?! What are you talking about?!"

"You don't remember, huh? I'm not surprised, you were freaking gone. You bit me last night, after you attacked me. And then you drank my blood without even noticing anything else anymore."

"Th-that's not true!" Luffy bellows in panic but deep down he knows it is.

The aching emptiness in his stomach is gone; the disgusting feeling of having worms crawl beneath his skin has vanished. He's able to breathe again without his lungs protesting and burning, and his fangs don't throb anymore inside his jaws. His head is clear, clearer than it has been for weeks. He feels actual strength running through his veins again, his muscles don't ache anymore – to be honest he feels better than he has in ages.

Just because…he drank _blood_ …?

He eyes the man doubtfully. But why did that guy not stop him? He wanted to kill Luffy; he'd followed him for days, chasing him like a damn predator. And then… What the hell is he planning now? What's his agenda?

The man smiles, a little more genuine this time, but Luffy still doesn't buy this sudden friendliness.

"Well, since you'll be stuck here for a while I might as well introduce myself. My name is Sabo. I'm from a hunter organisation. And I'm a vampire, as you know. I recognised your movement in one of our territories, which is why I was ordered to go after you in the first place."

Luffy stares at him. He can't tell if the guy is making fun of him or not. As the man, Sabo, motions for him to speak, he clears his throat.

"Ahm…I…My name's Luffy…," he replies after a moment.

Sabo's smile is hypnotising. "Pleasure to meet you, Luffy. And sorry again about…you know…"

"Why-why did you help me?" Luffy asks, more confused now than enraged as he tries to process what he's just heard.

Sabo sighs and then shakes his head. "I don't really know myself. Change of heart perhaps?"

"Bullshit."

The vulgar language makes Sabo grin and he rolls the sleeve of his shirt up even more. Luffy's gaze follows his every movement and his mouth waters at the memory of the hot, thick liquid rushing down his throat, warming his belly and soothing the incredible thirst inside of him. He doesn't even notice how he leans forward and he takes a deep sniff.

"You're still hungry, huh?" Sabo asks.

It's not really a question, they both know he is. Luffy looks up at him and Sabo moves around until he sits cross-legged on the wide mattress in front of him. Luffy waits for him to do something – say something – because even though Luffy wants nothing else but to re-open these wounds again and feast upon that delicious blood, the rest of his sanity screams at him to keep the hell away from the man. After all, the man tried to kill him.

Luffy is torn between hunger and fear and his body is tensing up more and more; caught in-between two absolute desires and a new headache starts hammering in his skull.

Sabo's blue eyes fix his. _"Come here."_

The words hit Luffy like an avalanche.

Sabo's voice has changed its tone. It's deeper now, even more melodious than before, warm and smooth like honey. Luffy shudders at the command and his heart jumps. Something is _happening_ to him, he doesn't know what, but…hearing him talk like that; it does something to Luffy, it makes Luffy want to _obey_ _so_ _much_ …

He stares at him, and his vision narrows in on Sabo's alluring smile.

 _"Don't be afraid. Come here, closer to me,"_ Sabo whispers and that delicious voice fills Luffy's head with a strange calmness and peace, as though trusting that voice would finally free him of all his worries and fears he's carried around with him for way too long.

He doesn't even notice how his own body betrays him and he scoots forward, hands eagerly reaching for the arm offered to him.

He sees Sabo smiling approvingly and he closes his hands around the strong forearm. His mouth opens on its own and he bends down to lick tentatively over the wounds he left. A thin layer of new rosy skin has stretched over the holes; it would barely take any effort to break through, to get to the hot boiling blood underneath, to fill his stomach with that wonderful warmth again.

His eyes slide close…he takes a deep breath…he can already _smell_ it, he can _hear_ it, the fresh blood rushing in the veins beneath his fingers…

And yet…

Something holds Luffy back.

 _"Go ahead. Drink,"_ he hears Sabo's wonderful voice above, and Luffy wants to comply, he wants to oblige _so badly_ but…

But…

"I'm…not like you," he whispers weakly, his eyes downcast, not seeing anything except his own shaking knees. "I-I'm not a vampire…"

Suddenly he feels a heavy, comforting hand on his head, slowly running through his strands in a caress and he sighs at the sudden tenderness. Sabo's thumb soothingly rubs over the skin behind his ear and he feels some of his tension drain away at once.

"It's ok. I know you are hungry. And that you want more. So drink," Sabo whispers into his ear. The sudden proximity has Luffy's heart racing, but for a different reason than last night. He dares to look up and he nearly loses himself in the impossible blue of the man's eyes.

Sabo smiles faintly at him and nods. _"Trust me. Drink and you'll feel better and recover faster. I promise. We'll talk after."_

Luffy swallows dryly, his grip around Sabo's arm tightening.

 _"Trust me, Luffy…"_

And with that, Luffy's resistance breaks. He bites and he groans with satisfaction when the hot blood floods his mouth once more and runs down his throat smoothly, soothingly. His eyes slide close and he presses his fangs in a little deeper even, and the flood of delicious red intensifies. He feels Sabo's arm shift a little, but otherwise he remains still. Luffy is so lost in the absolute bliss he tastes and feels that he hardly notices the hand coming around to rest protectively – or possessively, he can't tell anymore – in his nape, gently urging him on.

All he knows is that his thirst just grows stronger and the bestial, roaring greed claws at his insides, demanding him to go faster, to drink more, to have more of whatever this man gives him. His ears shut down and his world narrows in on the constant flow of blood before him, the overwhelming scent filling his lungs, the warm life-giving liquid filling up his stomach, the new strength and heat rushing through his body. Nothing else matters and he comes even closer, nearly presses himself against the solid body attached to the arm he's still gripping like his life depended on it.

He believes to hear soft laughter, and an encouraging voice above, but he isn't sure. And soon after, the rest of his mind shuts down to let his instincts finally take over.

* * *

The next time he wakes up he feels good. Amazingly good, to be honest. He blinks into the dim light of the bedroom, of Sabo's bedroom, and this time his head doesn't hurt anymore. No, actually, nothing hurts anymore, only his leg makes itself noticeable with a dull sting that is way more bearable than earlier. Luffy sits up with one fleeting moment and this time the room doesn't spin, his temples don't ache. He takes a deep breath and swings his legs over the egde of the bed. It tingles in his feet, his muscles tense. He wants to move.

God, he wants to run!

"I see you feel better, hm?" Sabo's amused voice comes from the door as Luffy stands up carefully. His injured leg protests a little, but he's able to put one foot before the other without expecting his knees to buckle.

"I feel great!" Luffy grins and looks at the other man, but when the memories come flooding back into the forefront of his mind, his grin soon dies. His brows furrow together as he nods at the shackle around his ankle. "Seriously, is this necessary, man?"

Sabo nods without hesitation. "Yup. Can't have you running around outside endangering innocent civilians."

"I didn't endanger anyone," Luffy replies and steps forward. Weirdly the chain seems to be long enough for him to move around freely. "You're making this shit up!"

"Alright, I admit you were in a much better state than we normally find mutated vampires to be in. However, we both know you were starving. And the reason you can now walk around again and give me attitude is because I gave you blood. If I hadn't you'd be getting closer and closer to insanity with every passing hour."

Luffy scowls at him but doesn't reply. His mind is clear, so much clearer than it was the first time he woke up. His eyes trail down to Sabo's bandaged arm and a spark of bad conscience lights up his stomach. He wonders if it hurts. He wasn't being exactly…gentle when he bit Sabo again.

The older man follows his gaze and then shakes his head. "Don't think about it. I'm going to be fine."

"Does it hurt?" Luffy asks. He tries really hard not to sound bothered at all.

The blue eyes flash with interest. A small smile appears on the man's face. "Not too badly. But thanks for the concern."

Sabo may be a vampire and a killer with a scythe, but in all honesty, he looks too damn good to be a vampire. Luffy has not encountered any vampires before, although he's one now himself – or something like it – so his knowledge is more or less based on what he's seen in films and video games. And in those, vampires are murdering, blood-sucking sadists, with crazy eyes and rotten skin, walking around despite being dead. Nasty creatures by any means, which makes sense, obviously.

But in this case… Luffy looks up into that ridiculously handsome face and he has a hard time believing that this man is actually dead. Undead. Whatever. He's sucking blood to stay alive and has the face of a supermodel.

His hair is blond, longer than Luffy's, and frames his pale face with gentle wavy strands. His eyes are so unearthly blue it is impossible not to be utterly fascinated by them. A scar covers his left eye and temple, the dark scar tissue stands in an alarming contrast to his otherwise pale skin. But not even the scar diminishes his stupid good looks. His cheekbones are high and sharp, like cut out of marble, and his pale lips are pulled into a knowing, alluring smile that makes Luffy's heart thud heavily inside his chest.

Luffy knows he's blushing and turns away, stepping closer to the door.

"Are you planning to keep me inside your bedroom forever? Or can I move around?"

"The chain is long enough for you to move around the house. But you can't leave."

Luffy has never been a fan of being told what to do and Sabo's commanding tone makes him narrow his eyes in annoyance. Just who does this jerk think he is? He may be pretty, ok, _fucking attractive_ , but he has no damn right to tell Luffy what to do and what not to do.

"Why not?" he asks with a hiss and gets up into Sabo's unimpressed and too handsome face, despite his heart that starts pounding wildly and alarmed inside his chest.

His reason tells him to stay away from Sabo, but he feels strong, he feels energetic, and he's never been one to back down from a fight. Now that he has a clear mind again, he doesn't want this fucker to order him around. No matter how good he looks _o-or how unbelievably nice he smells…_

"You have no damn right to keep me here."

Sabo looks nearly bored as he gazes down at him. He doesn't seem uncomfortable with the sudden proximity in the slightest.

"You're not the only mutated vampire we've found. But the only one who's still able to talk coherent sentences. The thing is, every time we get close to your origins – experimental laboratories – every time we manage to locate one, they're gone. Poof. Vanished. And that's why we need you to help us."

"And why should I help you?" Luffy asks annoyed and cofused at once. "You tried to kill me! You nearly chopped my leg off, asshole!"

"You tried to kill me, too."

"That was self-defence!" Luffy barks. The annoyance is building inside him more and more.

Sabo rolls his eyes and then pushes away from the door. He walks into what looks like the living room and Luffy follows him slowly, his arms crossed tightly in front of his chest. He wonders if he should ask Sabo is he could use his phone or laptop, to contact his friends and his work place. They're surely worried sick already.

The living room is big, but not necessarily inviting. It's that sort of living room that gives you the feeling no one has ever lived in it. The walls are mostly blank; just a few books stand in the otherwise empty shelves and the furniture looks new and gives the vibe that no one has ever really sat on it. The TV is switched on, showing some 24/7 news channel, but Sabo put it on mute. Luffy can see a laptop and appropriate gadgets laying on the the wooden living room table. His eyes widen and his stomach coils into itself, but he doesn't know why. He's about to ask if he can borrow them, when something catches his attention.

He stares at the TV and his eyes fly to the bottom left corner. His eyes widen and he steps closer, the chain making a soft rattling noise as he moves.

"Sabo?" Luffy breathes, his eyes glued to the screen. His heartbeat is punishingly loud in his ears. "What day is it today?"

The man looks at him for a moment before he grabs his phone to check. "September 17."

"What year?"

Sabo looks at him sharply, not replying.

 _"What fucking year is it!?"_ Luffy yells and he strides across the room in three long steps to snatch the phone away from Sabo's fingers.

He stares at the display and his lungs stop working.

His heart races.

His head is spinning.

"No," he whispers. "No."

His hands shake. His body starts trembling so violently Sabo leads him over to the sofa to sit down and he drops the phone on the carpet like he's afraid it might burn him. His temples throb and he feels nauseous. He wants to puke. Dark spots dance in front of his eyes and blur his sight.

 _"T-this…i-it can't be."_

"What do you mean?" Sabo asks calmly, but his eyes are watchful. His hand comes to rest on Luffy's shoulder. "Luffy, talk to me."

Luffy is too confused and disoriented to mind the man touching him so casually. If anything he's thankful, the foreign touch keeps him anchored in this reality, this horrible, terrible, nonsensical reality.

"I…I left the house…on June 8…th-three years ago," Luffy whispers. He's dizzy, downright dizzy. "Three years ago…I-I remember because it was a-after my last assignments for uni…I-I had work the next day…"

Sabo sucks in a sharp breath.

"What do you remember?" Sabo asks. "Luffy. Tell me, please."

"Three…years…this can't be…," Luffy mutters to himself. His head is swimming. This is nuts, this is not possible, three years, _how – what –_

"Luffy, please, talk to me. You need to tell me what you remember!" Sabo says, urgently now. "Why did you go to that laboratory? What happened that day?"

Luffy grimaces as a pain starts building behind his eyeballs. "I…I saw this ad…online… they looked for test subjects. The pay was good s-so I drove down to the lab…a-and then…I…"

"What happened after you got there?" Sabo wants to know and in the corner of his eye he sees Sabo picking up his phone and switching a recording app on. Then he starts to rub Luffy's back in comfort.

"I…I spoke to the woman at the desk…" Luffy mutters, rubbing his eyes before covering them with his hands. It's so fuzzy, so blurred, he feels like it happened yesterday, but – but god, he can't really remember, it's like a thick layer of fog is covering his memories and it's _frightening_.

"She…she told me to go into the waiting room…"

"Were you the only one in that waiting room?" Sabo asks soothingly, his hand not once stopping the reassuring caresses on Luffy's back. "Try to remember, please."

"I…I don't think so… I don't know…I think I…talked to someone…"

Luffy can't see Sabo's face but he can smell him, the sudden worry and concern and alert and Sabo shifts around to grab his laptop. Luffy is swaying now and he thinks he will pass out, his head feels like it's dipped underwater, a piercing pain sits right behind his eyes and the throb in his skull is enough to make his stomach turn over. He already tastes bitter bile on his tongue and the piercing sting in his head is so bad he thinks his eyeballs might be bleeding.

"Sabo, I –"

"Shhh, I know you feel ill, but I need you to tell me everything you remember, _please_ ," Sabo suddenly says right by his ear. "I'll let you rest after, I promise, but I need you to remember, Luffy."

And that is how Luffy ends up curled against Sabo's side, his face buried in the crook of his neck, fighting his urge to vomit, and his claws clenched into Sabo's clothes. He doesn't even know where this damn migraine suddenly comes from, but god it makes it so hard to speak, to remember, it's so blurred and unclear but Sabo keeps urging him on to continue and it hurts, his head _hurts so fucking much_ –

"You're doing well, you really are," Sabo coos into his hair as he types frantically with one hand on his laptop. "Do you remember if you told your friends where you went?"

"I…I think…I send the link to…to Usopp…h-he's my friend…flatmate…"

"What car did you drive?"

Luffy groans, a new wave of pain explodes behind his eyes and he doesn't want to talk anymore, he wants to rest and stop thinking and take painkillers and –

"No…"

"Luffy, tell me. I'll let you rest after," Sabo repeats. His other arm is still slung around Luffy's waist.

He grits his teeth as tries to remember, to form the appropriate words.

"19…93 Ford…Fiesta I think…," he mumbles slowly.

"Ugly-ass car," Sabo jokes light-heartedly and Luffy has to snort despite his pain.

"Yeah…," he replies weakly and closes his eyes. "But…took me places…"

* * *

 **Sabo**

He filled more than ten pages on his word document in less than fifteen minutes. When he carries Luffy back to his bedroom and tucks him under the covers, his hands are still twitching and he lets out a strangled sigh. That was way too much information at once. God, he needs to check what Luffy told him. He needs to find out how much of it true. He needs to find out where the hell this happened. When exactly. And what really went down.

He looks down at Luffy's sleeping frame. He gently brushes with his thumb over the heated cheek before he leans back up.

His heart is still drumming inside his chest as he returns to the living room. He has to contact Robin as soon as possible and send her the audio file and his notes. And he needs to consult at least another hunter; this is getting far scarier and bigger than he initially thought…

Mutated vampires started appearing roughly five years ago, so in terms of Sabo's immortal life span, it was basically a couple days ago. And these mutations have been an increasing worry for several vampire communities across the globe.

These mutations appear in their territories, thirsty for blood and barely holding onto their humanity and reason. Hundreds of civilians, adults and children, have died already due to these uncontrolled creatures, which is why Sabo and his friends' job it is to hunt these mutations down and kill them upon sight.

Actually, Luffy is the first case Sabo's ever had where the mutation was able to speak more than a few incoherent words. Normally these creatures are too far gone to be of any informative worth. Luffy, however… Well, maybe it's because Sabo found him fairly soon, or maybe he's just physically and mentally stronger than his mutated peers, but the man has finally provided some helpful intel on the whole origin of these mutations.

Although Sabo and his friends know that these mutations were most likely cooked up in a lab, they could never really find out where they were located. And if they did manage to locate one, it was usually destroyed and burned down by the time they got there.

Sabo runs a hand through his hair. What is even scarier is the fact that Luffy freaked out completely after learning what year it was. Sabo doesn't think he faked it, there was clear, genuine terror in his eyes and the memory makes Sabo clench his fist protectively. God knows what these fuckers did to him in that laboratory. Fact is, they had kept him there for three fucking years. Confined him, likely against his will, took away his freedom and his dignity and turned him into a mutated vampire and fogged up his memories.

Sabo feels his fangs elongate in aggression and he takes a deep breath, calming his nerves. Getting worked up now won't solve anything. But he knows if he ever catches these motherfuckers, hell will break lose…

He makes a few calls and then, after another hour of fruitless research, he leans back on the sofa. His gaze wanders to his half open bedroom door. No sounds come from there, so Luffy is still asleep. Sabo wonders if his headaches came from him trying to remember. Minutes before he'd been perfectly fine, loud and giving him attitude. And then he'd be close to having a breakdown.

Sabo is slightly sorry for urging him to tell him more when he was in clear pain and distress. But he'd had to. In any case, he should give the guy an actual meal when he wakes up. Human food, he probably misses that. To make him feel more comfortable and…perhaps trigger more memories?

He stands up, stretching his arms over his head. It's four in the afternoon. He should get some rest and then continue working on this case after nightfall.

When he returns to the living room a few hours later he sees his laptop occupied. Luffy has the duvet wrapped around his shoulders and he's sitting on the sofa with his legs drawn up, his feet resting on the seat. He actually looks kind of adorable like that. But when Sabo approaches and sees the grim look on his face, he neglects that thought.

"Hey. How do you feel?" Sabo asks him carefully and comes over.

"Better. Fuck this, but this doesn't make any fucking sense!" Luffy bellows and points accusatorily at Sabo's laptop. Sabo sees that he has several tabs open. The one he views right now is a search engine.

"Luffy –"

"I tried everything, but I can't log into my social media! Then I tried viewing my profiles from the outside but it doesn't fucking work! It's like someone deleted my entire online presence!" Luffy yells angrily. "Who the fuck would do that?!"

Sabo shrugs and shakes his head at the same time. "I have no idea. I tried looking you up as well, but I couldn't find anything, either. I thought maybe you didn't have social media, but if you had, then this is odd."

"Fuck this," Luffy growls and rubs his temples.

Sabo watches him carefully. "Does it still hurt?"

"Yeah. I don't know it's…like, every time I try to recall what happened after I woke up that day in June…it starts hurting really bad," Luffy mumbles with a deep frown.

Sabo soothingly rubs his shoulder and he half expects the other man to slap his hand away, but he doesn't. Luffy glances up at him. "So what's the plan?"

"What do you mean specifically?"

"You still planning to kill me?"

"I told you already I'm not killing you for now."

"And what would change that?" Luffy asks with a frustrated sigh.

Sabo blinks before he sits down next to him. "Well, if I'd get the order. If you prove to be a threat after all."

"Seriously? Hypocrite. Like you're not a threat yourself," Luffy replies with the faintest grin and Sabo smirks.

"Touché. But you can definitely relax for now. You helped us quite a bit. I send your intel to my boss. She'll decide on how to proceed."

They both keep silent for a while before Sabo's gaze drops to Luffy's leg. He still has the shorts on Sabo put on him after cleaning him up and tending his wounds. The bandage is a little soaked through, but not as bad as it would be if he hadn't gotten any blood. Drinking fresh blood does accelerate the healing process of vampires. And mutations, too, it proves.

He points at it. "Does it still hurt?"

"A bit. Not so bad anymore."

"Shall I take a look?"

Luffy nods.

Sabo goes to get new bandages and sits back down. He's about to tell Luffy to rest his leg on the living room table when the boy suddenly stretches the injured limb out to drape it across Sabo's lap. The sudden audacious move sends a rare thrill down his spine as Luffy smirks at him, clearly proud of himself for having made Sabo flustered for at least a moment.

Sabo lightly shakes his head and makes quick work at the bandage, unwrapping it from the slim thigh. Luffy hisses a little as he lifts the wet fabric up to reveal the injury. It still looks horrendous, but it's not life-threatening anymore. The scythe cut clean, without ripping and tearing the skin too much. The injury has halfway closed already and when Sabo sniffs it, he finds no sign of an infection.

"What the – How…?" Luffy whispers, staring at the wound. "You almost cut my leg in half!"

"Ah…yeah, uhm…still sorry about that," Sabo says a little embarrassed and he reaches for a new bandage.

"Wait, how the hell did you do this?" Luffy demands to know and Sabo contemplates lying, but then the dark, gorgeous eyes glow at him intriguingly. "I want to know."

"…You might be freaked out. Or you'll be turned on, could go either way."

"Turned on, huh?" Luffy asks with a daring grin that shows the tips of his fangs. "Try me."

Sabo hesitates for a moment, but then he throws caution to the wind. Well, the guy wanted to know.

He keeps eye contact with Luffy as he gently grabs his thigh, casually running his fingers over the smooth skin. Luffy shudders at the contact but doesn't pull away. And then, slowly, he bends down to bring his lips to the still leaking wound.

And he licks over it.

A hiss is torn from Luffy's throat and quickly turns into a moan that sounds like music in Sabo's ears. He keeps eye contact with the other and slowly drags his tongue over the leaking cut. The blood tastes a little old but clean, as usual since the wound is healing. It doesn't really taste different from a vampire's, there's just a subtle chemical note to it that Sabo can't put his finger on.

He sees a deep blush spreading over Luffy's face as he watches him with his mouth open and a visible tremble rocking his body. Looks like the guy is finally speechless. Sabo grins and laps over the wound once more, slowly, he draws it out and he hears Luffy gasp above him. When he looks up he sees that his fangs have elongated, glistening white and beautiful in the light coming from above. His hands claw into the pillows beside him and his nails are turning into deadly talons.

Sabo feels deeply satisfied. It's been some time since he's gotten such a strong reaction from something so…little.

"…You ok?" Sabo whispers and Luffy blinks at him like in a daze.

"Y-you…"

"Shall I stop?" he asks smugly and he laughs when Luffy shakes his head. Sabo smiles at the honest reaction and trails his tongue around the edges of the cut. His stomach burns with shame, but then again, he had a job and orders. Which is why he wants to make up for it.

"Sabo…," he hears a low moan and he can tell what is happening, he can smell it, he can feel it, hell he can _taste_ it in the sudden overflow of pheromones making his tongue and lips tingle.

When he drops his gaze to the front of Luffy's shorts, he knows what's going on. He starts to feel the effect himself, he feels himself getting worked up, and he decides to end this before this can become any more…dangerous. He sits back up and wraps the fresh bandage around Luffy's thigh with quick, sure movements. Then he smiles at Luffy.

The boy looks away, blush still evident on his face. Fangs peek out from his closed lips and the sight is honestly so adorable Sabo fights the urge to pull him closer, lick over those lips to slide his tongue playfully over the sharp little sabres and kiss the confusion away.

"Speechless?" he grins instead and gently lets the leg down to the floor. Luffy still doesn't reply.

Sabo closes his laptop. He can see Luffy's dark eyes following his every movement; he can practically _feel_ his anticipation drumming in his veins. Sabo likes that. He likes being able to draw such a reaction out of such a stubborn person.

He captures Luffy's gaze.

"Was I supposed to continue?" he smirks knowingly.

Next thing is a wild flap of the duvet flying through the air and the guy crushing into him, talons biting into his shoulders and heated lips pressing messily against his own.

Sabo hisses when Luffy accidentally digs his fangs in too deep and cuts his lip open. Luffy pushes him into the corner of the corner couch and he grunts, his hands flying around the lithe frame to calm his frantic movement. No matter how happy he is that the guy wants to make out with him, it's painfully clear he hasn't learned yet how to kiss with fangs in his mouth.

Luffy draws back and Sabo licks over the fresh blood seeping out of his lip.

"Looks like we gotta work on that," he makes light of the situation but Luffy looks concerned.

He lifts his fingers to his own mouth and rubs over his fangs. They're still elongated. It happens to unexperienced vampires, Sabo has seen it countless times, hell it happened to himself, too, after he'd transformed. Bodies of young vampires confuse the heat of arousal with the heat of a hunt or battle, which is why their bodies get into fight mode. Sabo went through it all, but that was a few centuries ago.

"Sorry…," Luffy mutters and draws his tense hands back and clenches them to fists despite his claws. He winces.

"Don't be. Happened to me, too," Sabo reassures him. He rubs his back and then draws him in closer again. "Let's slow down a little and try again?"

He brushes his fingers over Luffy's smooth cheek until he smiles again and then Sabo gently guides him forward, bringing their lips together once more.

It's been quite a while since the last time he's kissed someone, but he still knows how to do it, he perfected the technique decades ago. He moves his lips against Luffy's, urging him to match his pace, and it doesn't take long until they find the same rhythm, until their lips find their own sensual dance together.

His lip is still bleeding and he can feel Luffy shudder in his arms, he can tell that his hunger is returning, aroused quickly from the scent and taste. Luffy's tongue darts forward, lapping over his lips and he greedily swallows down what he can get. Sabo can tell Luffy is contemplating biting again, he can feel the fangs graze over his skin as though looking for the perfect spot to strike. He slides his tongue around Luffy's to distract him and he takes hold of Luffy's legs to position him on either side of his thighs so that he sits on his lap.

A wanton moan vibrates against his lips. He slides his hands underneath the shirt and he feels Luffy's body arch right into his touch, lean muscles flexing under burning skin. He slides his fingers to the waistband of his shorts and follows it around to the back, he dips his fingers underneath the thin fabric and Luffy gasps. He squeeze that magnificent ass and Luffy rocks right into him, making them both gasp when their hard cocks rubs against each other through too many layers of clothing.

"Sabo…," Luffy groans against his lips.

Sabo feels his own stomach dip inward with arousal, he feels his cock harden even more in his jeans and a long forgotten desire coils low in his stomach, sending unbearable heat right to his core. God, it's been so long, so goddamn long since he's been with someone, and now, suddenly, the man he was supposed to kill writhes in his lap, rocks his hard cock against Sabo's pelvis and moans his name.

He slides his fingers even lower, glides them down the cleft of Luffy's ass, dangerously close to his entrance and this time Luffy can't control it – he hisses and his fangs gash deep into Sabo's lip.

He grunts and pulls back on both fronts. Now this time it actually hurt.

"Ow…"

"S-sorry," Luffy pants, looking at him startled and embarrassed. His lips are painted red with Sabo's blood.

"It's ok," Sabo smiles wryly and licks carefully over his throbbing lip. His saliva should heal it soon, however a third bite wouldn't be funny and would put a drastic hold on any further kissing activities for the rest of the night.

He comfortingly rubs his hands over Luffy's tense arms. "Don't worry about it. I've endured worse during foreplay," he grins and winks at him, but the younger doesn't seem satisfied.

"This normally…never happened," he mumbles with a frown and he taps his talons against his fangs. "These are annoying."

Sabo nods sympathetically and smiles at him. "It's ok. You'll get used to it soon, I'm sure of it."

Luffy tentatively licks the remaining blood from his lips and then lifts his gaze to look at him. "Sorry."

"Fufu, don't be. It's natural. Happened to me too when I was new to all of this."

He wraps one arm around Luffy's waist and pulls him closer to him. "Are you hungry?" he asks him, his hand rubbing circles into his lower back. Luffy shrugs but his body language and distinct scent scream the answer at him. "I can tell you are."

"But…isn't it…bad for you when I keep doing it?"

"I had blood earlier."

The answer lets Luffy crane his head back and the discontent gets replaced with interest. His talons take a strong but not painful grip on the front of his shirt.

"How?"

"I have a stock of blood supplies here. And the older vampires get the longer they can go without having to feed fresh blood."

The surprised expression on the younger's face speaks volumes. Obviously he didn't know that, but how would he. He doesn't even remember the last three years. Sabo smiles at him and gives him a light kiss against his jaw despite his injured lip.

"It's ok, baby. Take as much as you want," he whispers.

The dark eyes wander down the side of his throat and he feels the greedy pulsing in the lean body, he can see the gorgeous lips opening and his tongue darting out to moisten them. His fangs are long and sharp, curved perfectly for a successful bite.

He can smell Luffy's hunger, he can feel the tremors in his body, and yet…he hesitates.

"Luffy?"

"Wh-where do I bite you…?" Luffy asks a little overwhelmed and he trembles. "I-I don't want to hurt you…"

"Shh, you won't hurt me, no worries," Sabo immediately soothes his worries and he rest his hand in Luffy's slender, fragile nape to gently guide him forward until he's right before his pulse point.

"Can you feel it? My heartbeat? The skin is thin there, the bite is quick and the blood comes easy. You don't need to bite hard, either."

"Does it hurt?"

Sabo's heart actually melts a little at the concern and he turns his face to press a kiss to Luffy's temple.

"It hardly does. Go on, do it."

He lets his head fall back and to the side, to expose as much of his throat as possible, and he feels Luffy's arms come around his shoulders, anchoring there in support, and then he comes in closer, as close as he can get.

Sabo's heart jerks wildly as he feels Luffy's tongue tentatively lick over his throat. His fangs poke into his skin. Then they sink deep and Sabo lets out a sigh.

* * *

 **Luffy**

His eyes slide close as Sabo's blood coats his tongue. He can hardly suppress the moan sitting low in his chest as he greedily laps up the sanguine fluid that makes his stomach burn like he swallowed liquid fire and that makes his body restless with energy and power. The blood flow is so much stronger than when he bit Sabo's arm, he feels it running down his lips and chin in the effort to quench his thirst but he isn't sophisticated enough to feed without spilling. And honestly, he doesn't care.

Wonderful warmth spreads throughout his body, new strength rushes through his arms and legs to his toes and fingers, his mind clears up in an instant and he feels more awake, more powerful and determined. He groans and can't help but rock his hips into Sabo's, but the man's arm stops him immediately.

He can hear Sabo laugh. "Focus, babe," he says, but he doesn't sound annoyed. If anything, turned on.

And that's why Luffy does it again.

Sabo stops him with a hand on his thigh and his impossible strength holding him effortlessly as though he didn't weigh a damn thing. Luffy wants to lean back and ask why he stopped him, when Sabo's hand in his nape stops him and instead holds him there, not giving him any room to pull back.

And then Sabo uses his scary commanding voice to pull the will to challenge him out of the very core of his body. Luffy gasps whena surge of submissive desire starts boiling between his legs.

" _Stop it. Focus on feeding for now."_

Even if he'd wanted to, he couldn't have disobeyed. He obediently laps the blood up, not minding the mess he makes, and otherwise he keeps perfectly still on Sabo's lap. He hears Sabo's approving hum in his ear and the sound sends his heart into cheer, happy that he satisfied the vampire, and Luffy keeps going, the overwhelming desire to pleasure the other man is the only thing in his mind.

He's so completely absorbed in his doings when Sabo suddenly orders again and this time his voice is hardened with irritation.

"Luffy. _Stop and get back to the bedroom_. Don't come out till I'm back."

His mind refocuses in an instant and he draws back, blinking at the other man. Sabo uses gentle but urgent force to get him off his lap. The chain rattles alarmingly.

"What?! Sabo, what do you mean?!"

Blue eyes flash with murderous intent as Sabo grits his teeth and presses a tissue against his bleeding throat. His hands fly to his phone and the little ear-piece next to it. He fastens it in his ear with one fleeting movement and he stands up. Sabo throws his jacket over and grabs his scythe form next to the door. He takes a deep breath and his pissed off expression becomes a grimace of blank, wild anger.

"Sabo!"

 _"Do as I say._ Don't follow me. Someone's trespassed into my fucking territory and I need to find out who the fuck has the audacity to do that."

* * *

 **To be continued.**

 **I really hope people liked this. Please leave a comment and tell me what you think and give me suggestions! Fell free to tell me what you want to see in this story and in most cases I will be more than happy to deliver.**


	2. Chapter 2

**Hello everyone!**

 **First of all I want to thank everyone who read the first chapter and left me kudos and comments. It's incredible to see so many people interested in my little story and I really hope you will like this chapter.**

 **Then, once again, I want to make it very clear that this story was born out of spite. So please do take everything I write with a grain of salt. Don't take this story too seriously, because, and I repeat myself here, I am making a conscious effort to make it as "tumblr-nasty" as possible. The tags say it all, and if you are not comfortable with what I am writing, please don't read this story.**

 **I have to say writing this story is amazing fun and I hope you guys will continue to like reading it.**

 **Anyways, I hope you guys enjoy.**

 **I don't own One Piece nor any of the characters.**

* * *

 **Sabo**

He can smell them.

It's a punch in the face.

It's more than one intruder, he can smell the joint odours of two male vampires drafting through the air, spiced with aggression and malice. One is a real, a _true_ vampire, just like Sabo. The other one is a grotesque mutation, and the rotten stink crawls like a maggot up his nostrils. He doesn't recognise the mutated fledgling's smell, nor can he tell who the vampire is. In any case, he's not of Sabo's organisation, or hive, as they call it. So a freely travelling vampire trespassing into territory he doesn't belong to, to kill a mutation that should be Sabo's responsibility.

What audacity.

Sabo doesn't have any new assignments, but he's allowed to attack on sight, so this kill should be _his_. Who knows in what state that anomaly is – now that it's on his territory, Sabo should be the one to end it. If it wasn't for that other vampire now, supposedly stealing his prey.

Sabo might have to face two enemies at once, it seems.

What a premise, considering his hive colleague currently closest to Sabo's location is still about a two-hour drive from here. If he'd call Sanji now, he would be here just in time to collect what is left of Sabo should he lose. Sabo knows that he will be outnumbered if the fledging is still alive by the time he gets there. Even if he isn't, Sabo isn't particularly keen on fighting against another vampire tonight. It would be a mess.

His vice-like grip around his scythe is so tight he fingers hurt from the pressure. If it was a different material, he knows it would've long busted already. He breaks through the woods in lightning speed, he hears the animals fleeing from him, he can sense their fear, their will to submit – he doesn't pay them any heed. He's hunting something else. His heart rate speeds up.

He knows he is getting closer.

His breathing rushes through his lungs.

The intruders are barely at the border of his territory, dancing at the edge. He bares his fangs. His gums tingle, his tongue curls, he can smell blood, the metallic odour spoilt with dirty rancour and dread.

 _Seems like the mutation won't live much longer…_

His nostrils flare as he catches more of their scents and for a moment he believes to recognise the one, the real vampire, something in the back of his mind softly calls for his attention, but then again… he's been alive for over four hundred years, his memory is blurry.

He can't tell for sure.

Not that there is any need.

He speeds up even more; his feet rush like silent thunder over the ground, quicker and quicker, as fast as his body is able to. Now he can hear the shrill clashing of razor-sharp talons against mith steel, only a few hundred metres before him. The sound is piercing high – his hair stands up.

The impact is so strong a harsh wind whips his hair out of his face. He growls in the back of his throat, fangs flashing.

He's reached the edge of the territory – a clearing and he's barely able to throw himself to the ground as a sharp wind cuts through the air above him. His ears sing from the pressure. The trees groan behind him, splitting, breaking, crashing to the ground. He hears the mice dying in their holes. Sabo jumps back up and lifts his scythe high over his head. He sees the flash of blood-stained mith slicing through the air, too fast for a human to see, and an ear-splitting wail stabs his brain. The sound of steel sliding through bone is accompanied by an orchestra of splashing blood and organs torn to pieces. Sabo squints into the darkness.

A pained sigh fills the icy silence, and the creature chokes on a crazy laugh that soon dies out.

A moment later, its heart has stopped beating.

Before Sabo can crunch his nose at the foul odour of the slashed rotting organs, he feels the pressure of a scythe approaching and he lifts his weapon just in time to keep his left shoulder from being detached from his body.

The intensity of the attack drives Sabo's heels into the mud and the trees moan behind him.

Vampires, contrary to popular human opinion, can't see fuck in darkness. Their other senses – smell, taste, hearing and touch – are heightened to a degree that is borderline perverted. But their eyes are useless in obscurity.

So Sabo only narrows his eyes as the distinct dusk before him moves and only faintly does he see the shape of the vampire completely dark against the night sky. The vampire jumps back, but not far. Ready to strike again.

Sabo sniffs the air, as does his new opponent; he can hear it, crispy clear and loud, as if he was stood beside his ear.

The vampire's scent is spicy, manly, and yet there's a somewhat sweet tone to it, and it faintly reminds Sabo of warm, tropical places, far far away from here. Once again Sabo wonders whether he recognises it from somewhere, a place long lost in the past, half buried beneath two centuries of new memories and impressions.

But he has no time musing.

He leaps like a lion, scythe singing through the air and he slashes down in one swift lethal movement that make his teeth hurt. His scythe collides with a screech against the blade of the vampire. He elegantly prances backwards and turns the weapon in his hand, blade now pointing upwards.

His arms shake as their scythes crash again, mith steel screaming in agony. The trees around them start to flatten into the ground, from the punishing pressure released with every fucking time they clash.

He hails attacks down on the vampire, heedless and furious like a thunder storm, but the guy holds against them with such mocking ease Sabo's temples start to throb with annoyance. His blind pride starts to expand inside his chest, just about to push all rational reason down the drain and take over. He wants this to be over soon – he doesn't give a shit about the killed mutation, but _no one_ dares to intrude into Sabo's territory.

Sabo jumps backwards. His shoulders, elbows and wrists start to ache from his own assault. He hasn't noticed the sweat dripping down his face, but now it is a reassuring burn on his upper lip. He licks the salty liquid away.

He lowers one hand to reach behind him – a knife is hidden there in his belt. He'll get close and then ditch his scythe. He'll cut that guy's throat and ask questions later. The sun will come up soon and Sabo has other things to worry about.

 _Like Luffy…_

Cold, fearless, clinical determination settles in his chest and he grabs his scythe again. Whoever this fucker is, he'll soon regret ever coming close to Sabo and his sector.

Well, if he'll be alive enough to regret anything, when the blood bubbles out of his open throat.

Sabo takes a deep breath. But before he can jump –

 ** _"AAARGH!"_**

He hears himself screaming.

His chest explodes with pain so punishing the scream dies right there in his throat and Sabo numbly feels how his back hits the grass, his scythe limply falls from his hands.

A frightening coldness rises inside of him and he blindly reaches for his chest. His hands are wet and dripping heat as he touches it.

An abyss right there, where his ribcage should be, vomiting blood.

 ** _"Ha-ha….,"_** his breath is so loud in his ears, his heart drums inside his open chest; fear is a ton of bricks dropped into his stomach.

He blinks up at the vampire. Dark, endlessly dark and unforgiving against the brightening sky.

Morning is almost here.

 **"W-who…,"** Sabo gurgles through a mouthful of blood.

He believes that the man says something, perhaps mocks his approaching death, but then Sabo's senses give way and he falls into the well-known darkness that he hasn't met for four centuries.

* * *

 **Luffy**

He grits his teeth and slams the metal meat tenderiser down onto the chain again. It rattles, but of course the damn thing won't budge. He sighs, throwing the thing away, underneath the fridge, instead of putting it back into the drawer where he found it. Like he'd clean up after himself.

Sabo has been gone for over an hour. It's almost 6am. Luffy glances at the time and frowns. Not that he particularly cares, which is a lie, because _obviously_ he cares about the one guy who nearly killed and then healed him in the span of roughly 48 hours. Oh and then wildly made out with him there on the sofa, only to leave him here all on his own. Not that it wasn't fun, but Luffy hated it when Sabo used his weird commanding voice on him that made his brain turn to mush and all blood sink to his cock. He doesn't understand how he does it – but the fact that he's able to control Luffy like that is frightening.

Well, if Sabo got his ass killed, it's his own fault, after leaving Luffy with a raging hard-on, all by himself.

Luffy rolls his eyes at his own uncharacteristic cynicism and paces from the kitchen to the living room and back. The TV is on, but he simply isn't capable of paying any attention. He wants to know where Sabo is. And more than that, he wants to get out of here and get back to his old life.

His stomach twists as he recalls the blurred faces of his friends. He's been missing for three years – they must've been worried sick! They must've looked for him, everywhere! Luffy runs a hand through his shaggy hair and frowns. He will explain everything to them. Everything that happened to him, and they will understand and they will help him get a new place and then he'll soon get a job and this will all be nothing but a weird, very-long, horrible nightmare.

Yes, it'll all be fine, once Sabo lets him out of here. He'll go and look for his friends, stay put for a bit to get his life in order, and soon he'll be the same old Luffy again.

Well, with a small addition.

Luffy flops down on the sofa and thoughtfully clanks his long fingernails against his corner teeth. They've returned to a more "normal" size again, but they still poke sharply into his lip if he isn't careful. He wonders if he can get them shortened or some shit. Probably. He would have to ask Chopper. He looks down at his nails that are so weirdly long and hard, tougher than he remembers his nails to be. He'll ask Nami – her nails are like claws, she surely knows how to trim them properly. The thought of his friends makes him smile, albeit wistfully. A longing settles in his chest, at the same time his eyes start burning and he sniffs. He misses them. A lot, even. His friends had been his family and being so far away from them – and not having been there with them, for three whole years, it hurts.

Actually, it's like a dagger piercing through his chest.

He sighs and reaches for the remote when he hears a clanking outside the door. His head jerks around.

 _So he's alive after all…_

He's about to stand up and walk over, but as a sudden harsh punch nearly knocks the door out of its hinges Luffy halts mid-movement.

 _Wha….?_

And then –

"Open up! I know you're in there!"

Luffy flinches. It's an unfamiliar voice, male, deep and commanding, just like Sabo's. He feels his feet moving hesitantly and he grits his teeth, clawing his talons into the back of the sofa.

 _No! No, fuck no, not again –_

 _"Open. Up. Now."_

He groans in a low voice as the words beat through his skull and tear every will to resist into shreds. The voice is sultry, melodic, like Sabo's, deep and trustworthy, dripping through the cracks like poison and engulfing Luffy's mind with a sure and leading grip. He doesn't even _want_ to resist anymore, he will do anything –

He hardly notices how he opens the door and he's already pushed to the side and an unfamiliar vampire strides past him with heavy steps from a limp weight slung over his shoulder. He heads right toward the bedroom and Luffy needs a moment to realise that the weight over his shoulder is Sabo, apparently unconscious. His eyes drift down and with horror he sees the small puddles of blood following the man's muddy foot prints like a morbid decoration.

Sabo is also bleeding very badly.

"Wha-what happened?" Luffy asks with dread lacing his words. He slams the door closed and follows the man.

The vampire dumps Sabo on the squeaking mattress and within heartbeats the sheets are drenched in crimson red. The smell of Sabo's blood makes Luffy's stomach hot and greedy, but he resists the urge and stays by the door. The foreign vampire turns around to him, and eyes him up and down. His punishing gaze makes Luffy feel like he was stripped naked right in front of him, spread open and examined.

Not that he would particularly care, after taking a good look at the vampire's face.

He's so frighteningly handsome he should be burned for the fact alone. Black hair frames a deeply tanned face; dark expressive eyes are underlined by a generous scatter of freckles above his straight nose and high cheekbones. His lips are pulled into a thin line, there is razor-sharp tension sitting in his jaw. Luffy feels heat collecting between his legs and he curses himself, and blames Sabo's rebellious blood inside his veins.

He is dressed in matt black and blue. His clothes are not as expensive as Sabo's, but his black pilot jacket, his dark jeans, his blue scarf and his gloves give him a sense of wild beauty and ferocity. Luffy finds himself fascinated as he looks at him, and he wishes he didn't blush.

The vampire sniffs and then shakes his head, turning back to Sabo

"Thought I'd smelt something weird on him. So he saved a mutated one. Not surprised, to be honest."

There's but a small tone of condescension on his tongue, yet Luffy swallows the need to reply. He has the distinct feeling that if he did, he'd end up worse than Sabo.

"Who-who are you?" He manages to ask. He wishes his words didn't shake so much. Or his knees.

"Name's Ace."

The vampire leans two scythes against the wall next to the bed. One is Sabo's. The other one is dripping blood and –

"Wh-what happened? Were-were you attacked?"

Ace shakes his head and claws his hands into Sabo's clothes. With a terrible ripping noise he tears the fabric away and leaves Sabo top half naked and limp. Now Luffy sees the horrendous scale of the wound. His whole torso was cut open, from his left shoulder to his stomach. Luffy believes to see organs gleaming in the dim light and he turns away, pressing a shaking hand to his mouth. He feels nauseous.

And thirsty.

"W-who attacked you? O-other vampIRES?!" he manages to yell and he flinches as he realises how foreign his voice sounds.

"Nah, this was me."

"WHAT?!"

"He deserved it."

Luffy recoils, staring at the guy with fear rising in his chest. His talons elongate again and he's ready to attack when the guy rolls his eyes at him and then starts to kneel on the bed, right above Sabo. Despite the atrociously injured person beneath him, he even does it elegantly.

"Calm down, I'm not here to hurt you. This is between Sabo and me."

"D-did you kill him?! IS HE DEAD?!" Luffy's voice is growing into a scream and he hisses in the back of his throat, talons lifting, and a terrible, possessive tremor crashes through his head.

Ace looks at him for a moment, measuring. His eyes last on the shackle clasped around Luffy's ankle, but his face is blank, void of any emotion, any judgement. Then he returns his attention to the unconscious guy beneath him.

"He isn't. I might've gone overboard a little, I admit that – but he won't die from this. And now, if you'd be so good, how about you walk to the bathroom and get the first aid-kit from under the sink? Please."

Luffy stares at him, unmoving. _How does he know –_

Ace looks at him for a moment and then narrows his eyes.

 _"Go get the first-aid kit. Now."_

Luffy grimaces as the voice throbs through his head and with a hiss he turns around and hurries to said destination. His hands are clenched to angry fists.

As he returns he almost drops the damn box because for a shocking moment it looks like Ace is actually fucking _eating_ Sabo's organs. But no, he isn't, he's just bend over him, and licks the edges of the cut. Or so. It makes a disgusting squelching tone as his tongue laps over the blood-wet riven skin and Luffy doesn't know if he should be disgusted or turned on. He is both, which is obnoxious enough; his belly burns with shame. He drops the box next to Ace's knee and then jumps backwards, as the delicious scent threatens to take over his mind. _God…_

"Thanks."

Ace's mouth is full of blood and his fangs are white polished ivory flashing at him through the sea of scarlet. Luffy can only gape at him, teeth elongating hungrily and fingernails biting into his own skin where he has his hands clenched so tightly his knuckles are white. The vampire opens the first-aid kit without looking and fishes white bandage rolls, several pads and long plasters out. And then a tiny needle and twine.

"A-are you sure you know what you're doing?" Luffy asks with a shaky voice.

"Yeah."

As he doesn't reply, Ace lifts his eyes to him. His gaze is calm and dark…a starless night, a bottomless pit, the darkness you wake up to after a nightmare. It's unnerving.

"Or do you think you could do a better job?"

Luffy shakes his head. Like everyone else from his social circle he did a first aid class when he did his driver's license. Which is…now roughly seven years ago. So, no, he definitely wouldn't be able to do a better job than a vampire who is God knows how old.

"Alright then."

Ace turns back and prepares his tools to stitch Sabo back together. The fact that he is still alive is a miracle. But then again, he's a vampire. Human scales don't count anymore in Luffy's world. He's about to ask Ace if he can help when –

 _"Get out."_

He blinks, feet already moving, but he claws his hands around the door frame.

"Wait, I –"

 _"Stay in the living room. Close the door. Please."_

He snarls at the command, too sweetly coated in politeness, but does as he is told. Not like he has any choice.

* * *

Luffy jolts awake as he hears the clanking of porcelain in the kitchen. He jerks around, heart beating like crazy inside his chest. How many hours did he sleep –

"You awake?" comes Ace's voice from the kitchen.

He walks back into the living room, two steaming mugs in his hands. With all calmness in the world slowing down his movements, he sits down opposite of Luffy, in an armchair, and sets down the mugs. Luffy sniffs. Smells like tea. Disgusting tea.

"Don't make that face. It's St John's wort. Helps your body regenerating blood."

"Smells awful," Luffy mumbles, but lifts the mug and stares down into the dark, steaming liquid. Looks like watered down mud.

"Don't inhale it and chuck it down like a shot," Ace says with humour lacing his words.

Luffy sets the mug back down and lifts his eyes to shyly meet Ace's unwavering gaze. He cleaned up – no traces of Sabo's blood are left on his handsome face. He got rid of his jacket and now he sits there only clad in jeans and a plain blue t-shirt that shows off his muscled arms. Luffy's gaze flickers to the veins snaking around the toned biceps, and when he looks up to Ace again, he knows that Ace noticed his interest.

He blushes and looks away.

"H-how's Sabo?"

"Sleeping. He'll be as good as new in a few days."

"So… Why… I mean, you attacked him and then tended his wounds? That doesn't make any sense!" Luffy breathes and with a frown he realises that it's basically the same that Sabo did to him. Now that he thinks about it, the irony makes his mouth twitch.

"Well, he broke my heart."

"WHAT?! _That's all?!_ That's the reason why you almost cut him in halves?!" Luffy yells and jumps up.

Ace watches him, unimpressed. "Sit down, please. And he did a few things more, but essentially yes, because of him breaking my heart and trashing it."

Luffy glares at him and reluctantly flops back down on the sofa. His temples throb. Bloody hell, he is indeed surrounded by crazy, insane _monsters_ –

"That's a whole other level of fucked up, man," Luffy breathes and his eyes dart about the room. Is there alcohol stored here somewhere…? He is in desperate need of a drink. Or ten. To stomach all this bullshit.

Ace just comfortably leans back and throws his phone onto the living room table. For a moment Luffy sees several missed calls blinking on the display, but Ace quickly locks the screen.

"odd hearing that from the mutation sitting across from me," Ace replies with a sly grin that doesn't reach his eyes. "I believe we have to very different definitions of what is _fucked up_."

Luffy looks away.

Ace continues. "So…why did Sabo spare you? I mean, I admit, you are surprisingly…eloquent for a mutated one. Usually you fuckers hardly do more than growl and drool on yourselves and suck humans dry. So…what makes you different? If you don't mind me asking."

Seriously, Luffy can't tell of this guy is joking or not. How can he be… be so polite and articulated and calm and have such horrible words come out of his mouth?! Anger starts to build in his chest. He fixes Ace's interested gaze with a glare.

"I don't know. I don't know what happened to me," he hisses.

Ace just nods and takes a sip from the tea that smells so bad. Then he grabs his phone and swipes his thumb over it. Luffy watches him with growing irritation. He can't tell what this guy is thinking, or plotting, in the back of his head he is convinced that the man is only playing with him, gauging him to get a reaction out of him. He's dangerous, that is for certain. And if a broken heart is a good enough reason for him to nearly chop Sabo in halves and spill his goddamn organs on the ground, then that is more than enough proof that he is definitely insane. Completely nuts. No matter how good-looking he is.

O-or how nice he smells…

He flinches as Ace sets the phone back down and searches for his gaze. A faint smile is tugging at his lips. He looks stern otherwise.

"I believe I've been fairly rude to you. Let me introduce myself again. My name is Ace. I'm primarily a bounty hunter. I work on my own; I don't have an organisation yapping at my heels like Sabo does. However, my main targets are mutations like you, because you can't imagine the bounty the humans put on your heads. You guys are worth a fortune. When you're dead, obviously."

Luffy's breath stops inside his lungs and his eyes jerk toward the kitchen. If that guy is going to attack him now –

"But don't worry. I'm a lazy man. If there's no bounty on your head I don't give a damn. And currently," Ace taps his index finger on his black, empty phone screen, "Currently you're not an item yet. So you can relax. I'm not planning on killing you if I don't get anything out of it."

"…What a relief," Luffy mumbles. He doesn't feel relieved at all.

"…And your name is…?"

He rubs the bridge of his nose before he sighs. "Luffy. Monkey D. Luffy."

Ace's gaze softens at that and he nods again. "That's a good name."

Somehow Luffy thinks that this time, he might actually be genuine. They make a little more small talk and after a while, Luffy starts to relax. The guy isn't being threatening at all, he's surprisingly polite, more so than Sabo to be honest, and although his invasive gaze is hard to hold, he is actually quite…comfortable to have around. Well, if Luffy can actually be a judge of that, after what happened to him. Perhaps Ace, after however many centuries he's been alive, has just mastered the skill of being a good conversationalist. In any case, Luffy finds himself more and more intrigued with that dark-haired man that reminds him of beaches and sunsets and freedom a lifetime away from here.

"So it was basically a coincidence that you entered Sabo's territory?" Luffy asks again, unbelieving. That sounds ridiculous.

"Pretty much. I've been meaning to come here for a while. There's been a drastic increase in mutation cases here, which practically means easy cash. So I hopped onto the next plane and got off at an airport roughly fifty miles from here. I checked the index and saw a fairly high bounty for a mutated one around this area. And that's how I trespassed into the territory of Cipherpol 0. And I recognised Sabo's smell immediately."

"Cipherpol…0?"

"It's the name of the hive Sabo belongs to. Here."

"Hive?"

"Synonym for a vampire hunter organisation."

Ace grabs his phone and with a few swipes he's selected a topographical map of Northern America. A small red blinking spot in the west, quite in the middle of Washington tells Luffy where they are. A weird dull ache starts pulling at his heart. On this tiny map, his home seems so close.

"There are three major hunter organisations in the US, and then several smaller ones which are anarchic assholes, basically. Most areas are covered by the responsibility of one of these three organisations, but there are also some that aren't – mostly where there's only little population. That's where I was. But that bastard mutated fledgling wanted to play hide and seek, so I followed him here."

"But…how did you even learn about the mutation?"

Ace taps his phone again.

"It's an online database that gets updated every thirty minutes. It's accessible for humans and vampires and all that other shit with working brains that exists out there. Admins are different depending on the region, but they work in co-op with the local governments and police forces. So the reason Sabo presumably had you on his index and I haven't is that either someone deleted you from the official one or Sabo's hive is a bunch of selfish pricks that doesn't want others hunting in their territory, which, given Sabo's reaction, is probably more likely. But that's just my take."

Luffy frowns deeply. That was… a lot of information just now. Ace lowers the phone and apparently he can read the confusion screaming on Luffy's face, because he stifles a laugh.

"Let me guess, Sabo explained nothing to you."

"Well, not like I had the time," comes a growled reply from the bedroom and Luffy's head flies around to see Sabo leaning heavily against the door frame, one arm protectively draped over his injured torso, and clearly pale and weak on his legs. But he is very much alive – and _good God_ does he look pissed off.

Even despite the unhealthy grey on his face, he manages to glare acid at Ace, who only looks at him completely unfazed. If he'd look at Luffy that way he'd immediately fall to his knees with a sob and ask for forgiveness.

"Nice to see that you're walking around again, Sabo," Ace says slowly. His dark eyes rest on Sabo's trembling frame, clad in a plain shirt and joggers. No trace of remorse is visible on Ace's features.

"Sabo!" Luffy sighs and he didn't even notice the heavy weight of worry bearing down on him. But now that he sees the blond man alive and well, he feels like he can breathe again. Sabo's punishing gaze softens as he looks Luffy in the eyes.

"Are you ok? Did he do anything weird to you?"

"No no, I'm fine, but you –"

"I'll be alright, don't worry," Sabo waves his concern away and with a pained grimace he slowly ambles over toward the couch to sink onto with a relieved groan.

Luffy moves closer to him and peeks below the open shirt. Ace did know his shit apparently – the bandages are thick and tightly wrapped around the expanse of Sabo's torso, all the way up to his shoulder. There are a few dark blood spots seeping throw, but nothing serious. Seems like his stitches are lasting.

"And, before anyone says another word, Luffy could you please go upstairs and get some of the stored blood supplies? They're in the fridge at the right-hand side of the bedroom," Sabo mumbles.

"U-uhm, alright –"

"Thanks."

"I could give you blood as well," Ace interrupts with a smug smile and Luffy can feel the anger radiating like a poisoned mist off of Sabo's skin.

The blond vampire fixes the raven one with a cold stare and then smiles in a way that shows his elongated fangs.

"I think I'd rather die."

Luffy clears his throat and jumps from the sofa. Time to leave this scene – he's experienced too much craziness in the span of a few days, he wants no goddamn part in this. He just quickly nods at Sabo and then practically dashes up the stairs, away from these crazy vampires that are so dangerous and yet so weirdly harmless in the same heartbeat.

In any case, he should keep his guard up. And look for a weapon.

* * *

 **Sabo**

"Give me a few days to recover and I'll make you pay for this," he grits out through clenched jaws. His chest burns worse than the fire that killed him back then in 1641.

He has no idea what this guy's deal is. Well, he sort of has a very vague idea that Sabo might've wronged him in some way, which unfortunately wouldn't be the first time that shit like that came back to haunt him. However, he doubts it was that bad that this guy, Ace apparently, felt the need to take revenge and nearly send him back into the arms of Kharon. What a prick.

"So I take it you don't remember?" Ace asks with a drawl and he sighs, taking another sip from his tea.

One sniff tells Sabo that it's St John's wort. Without hesitation he grabs Luffy's mug and chucks the whole thing down with two mighty gulps. That stuff is the embodiment of disgusting, but it does its work inside his body. And he needs everything blood-generating he can have. Ace's attack sure took a toll on him.

"What exactly should I remember? I was born in 1614, a lot of things happened between then and now," he growls.

Ace's eyes are charcoals, gleaming with smouldering anger and damaged pride. Sabo's weakened body starts trembling, the temperature in the room sinks below zero, a sheen of white frost starts setting on his empty mug. He shivers.

"1817. Valley of the Kings, near Luxor, Egypt. We both wanted to rob some tombs. We even stayed at the same damn inn. Does it ring any bells?" Ace says in a low voice weighed down by emotion that cumulated over two hundred years.

Sabo blinks. Swallows. It's true, he'd been in Egypt at that time, away from busy Europe and their constant wars. He'd been more than intrigued by the tombs of ancient pharaohs, the rich history carved into rocks and stones and graves so vast one man could barely imagine them. Nor the amazing treasures hidden inside.

So soon he'd found himself wanting to grab some of these treasures and make a run for –

"Oh fuck."

Images flood his mind and his heart lurches inside his chest as whole scenes and scenarios come crashing around him before his inner eye and the smell of hot desert sand, leather, wood and naked skin fills his nostrils –

* * *

 _ **Luxor/Egypt, 1817**_

 _Being in a country that is so consistently sunny and bright proves to be a challenge for Sabo. However he doesn't die immediately if exposed to sunlight, so he'd managed the trip somehow – and he doesn't regret it one bit. He glances to the side where a small row of golden sculptures is wrapped in thick towels, hidden behind the wooden bookshelf. Roughly half of these sculptures are the ones he found, the other half belongs to Ace._

 _A couple weeks longer and he'll leave and take this little fortune with him…_

 _Day is almost breaking. The sun is stretching her fingers over the horizon, the familiar heat starts flooding into the rooms of the inn. Sabo can hear the faint voices of the first few humans walking around, running errands, he can hear donkeys outside the inn, and a bit further to the west a group of camels are quenching their thirst by a fountain. His nose sucks in the distinct smell of Luxor, an enticing mix of sugar, wood, dust and spice. The River Nile, just down the block, carries a fresh wind into the otherwise boiling city. He'd had zero expectations when he'd come to this place. And now he can't really believe how fond he's grown of it._

 _He feels a kiss pressed above his beating heart. His attention turns back to the man currently resting comfortably on top of him. They'd just had two awesome rounds of sex – Sabo's lower back is throbbing, but it's an aching of the best kind. He gently runs a hand through the raven dark locks and he feels Ace smile against his skin, before kissing his sternum again and lifting his head to sleepily blink at him._

 _"Why are you smiling like that?" Ace asks warmly._

 _Sabo laughs in a low voice and shrugs. "I guess I just can't believe I'd come to this place – and find someone like you here."_

 _Ace's dazzling smile makes his heart squeeze. At the same time he wishes he wouldn't look so…so genuinely happy. It makes Sabo feel guilty in the strangest way._

 _"Same goes for me," he whispers and their lips meet in the tenderest kiss that tastes of dates and honey and bittersweet lies._

 _Sabo's stomach grumbles loudly and he feels his fangs elongating whilst his tongue still curls around Ace's in a heated dance of desire flaring back up between them. Ace draws back with a lazy smile darkened by reawakening lust. He sniffs._

 _"You're hungry." It's not a question. Sabo nods and licks his lower lip._

 _Ace snorts and rolls to the side, sitting up and leaning against the headboard. His tanned skin is a beautiful contrast against the white of the pillows and sheets. He smiles and wordlessly rubs his index finger against the side of his throat._

 _"Come here," he offers and Sabo wastes no time._

 _Within a heartbeat he straddles Ace's thighs and leans forward, arms wrapping around the strong shoulders and he greedily breathes in the sweet-spicy smell so unique to this man. Ace's hands comfortably rest on Sabo's hips._

 _"Go ahead then, take as much as you want," Ace laughs into his ear and Sabo raises his brow at him._

 _"You can't be serious."_

 _Ace softly kisses his lips. "Well, I trust you to not suck me dry, darling."_

 _Sabo kisses back and his heart aches with remorse. "I'll be careful," he whispers and closes his eyes to the delighted smile brightening up Ace's handsome features._

 _He leans down and trails his tongue down the velvet skin where he feels the rapid heartbeat drumming through the beautiful body beneath him. He can already taste the delicious blood coating his tongue and with a watering mouth he opens wider and slowly digs his fangs into Ace's skin…_

* * *

 **Present**

Sabo blinks at the current, very real Ace sitting across from him, expression blank, and he slowly runs a hand through his hair. Wow, he'd totally forgotten about that shit in Egypt. He hadn't been there for long, barely half a year – a blink of an eye considering his lifespan. He carefully eyes Ace's unmoving face. Well…alright, fair enough. What he did hadn't been exactly _nice_ …

"You broke my goddamn heart, Sabo. And on top of that you also stole my fucking artefacts and sold them. Then you even got me beaten up and locked into a fucking tomb together with a bunch of ghouls. These fuckers almost killed me. Hah, and when I finally got out of there you'd already left for whatever place you went to next. And I never heard of you again."

Guilt is a venom cauterising his insides.

"Listen –"

Ace rubs a hand over his face before he shakes his head and exhales slowly. The sadness creeping into his handsome features is so genuine and – and sincere Sabo's mouth is filled with poison, his guts are a nest of snakes wanting to eat themselves. The wound across his chest is throbbing, but it's nothing to the deep aching sitting in a little dark chamber in the deep part of his heart and which now resurfaces with an intensity Sabo fears his sutures might open again.

He bites his lower lip.

"Listen, I was an idiot – I was an asshole and you have every right to be mad at me –."

Ace waves his sorry attempt at an apology away like a swarm of nasty flies.

"Try better. I've been waiting two hundred years to hear your reason for betraying me." His dark eyes fix his with a gaze holding both anger and grief. "Because no matter how often I thought about it, I just can't find anything I did wrong. I told you that I loved you and you left me there to die in that fucking tomb, Sabo. Why?"

A violent tremor rocks Sabo's body and he opens his mouth to reply when Luffy returns to the living room, arms full with stored blood, and Sabo shakes his head, fighting the memories back down. This is not the time and place to talk about these events long past.

A lame excuse, but it's the truth. So he turns his gaze away from the blatant hurt in Ace's eyes and smiles thankfully at Luffy who hands him the requested items and then sits back down on the sofa next to him. Ace's stare is still boring holes into him. But he doesn't look at him anymore.

* * *

He checks to see if Robin has messaged him, but she hasn't. Neither has anyone else of his hive. So it seems that no one else has noticed yet that Sabo has kept Luffy alive. And he's also kept another intruder alive – for now. Seems like he's getting soft lately.

Ace is off to take a shower without asking if he's even allowed to use the bathroom, so Sabo and Luffy have a moment of privacy. He's sucked dry four of the stored blood bottles. He feels much better now, sleepy and full, and the burning on his chest has lessened. Still hurts and still reminds him of what happened, but it's not as bad anymore. Which is a good thing, since his pride is damaged enough. Drinking real blood would surely accelerate the whole healing process in a more effective way, but Ace is definitely not an option, and neither is Luffy with his mutated body. Well, whatever.

"You alright?" Sabo asks Luffy again.

He lifts his hand and gently brushes his knuckles over Luffy's warm cheek. The boy nods and leans into his touch. Sabo feels a pang of a bad conscious (for the second time today) as he remembers how they'd made out here on the sofa, only for him to leave Luffy wildly aroused on his own.

He'd make up for it now if it wasn't for his damaged body. So instead he leans forward and presses a kiss to Luffy's forehead. He kinda expected the boy to pull away – physical affection without the intimate moment of sharing blood is an entirely different story. But Luffy doesn't pull away and Sabo thinks that he is letting his guard down way too much.

"Did Ace say something weird to you? Perhaps about me?" he asks.

"Nah. But he told me that your-your organisation or so is called Cipher-something."

He blinks, surprised. "Yeah, Cipherpol 0. My superior Robin hasn't contacted me yet though; she's the one I send the intel you gave me earlier, right? She'll know how to proceed from here. And till then you can relax, I promise."

Luffy nods, but he doesn't look convinced. Sabo can't blame him. In that short amount of time he's known him…or rather followed him the boy has experienced enough shit that his head will be preoccupied for at least a month. A normal human being would've already broken down, Sabo is positive. But for vampires – and mutations – these scales don't count anymore. Sabo has seen too much misery and agony over the span of four centuries, and yet he's still able to laugh and smile and fuck. Not possible would he still have the calibration of a human brain.

He stifles a yawn. "Also sorry about, you know, earlier. Before I left."

Luffy's face turns from troubled to mischievous. "You gonna make it up to me?"

 _Yeah, he's definitely letting his guard down too much._

Sabo grins and leans in closer, trailing his tongue along the shell of Luffy's ear. He feels him shudder under the tender caress. Sabo's hand slides up Luffy's thigh and he loves the fact that his legs already move apart to give him better access.

 _What a good boy he is…_

"Well, what would you want me to do?" Sabo breathes against his ear despite the warning pain shooting through his chest. Fuck, he's definitely not in the state to play games like this.

Luffy's dark eyes are already glazing over and he's opening his mouth – his fangs already elongating beautifully – when the bathroom door opens and Ace shouts: "Get a room!"

Sabo leans back, lifting his hand from Luffy's leg. He doesn't know who looks more pissed off, Luffy or Ace.

"Back off," Sabo growls at Ace and with gritted teeth he rubs the bandages. Ok, he needs to rest, this hurts.

"Y-you ok, Sabo? Is it bad?" Luffy asks, teeth still poking out and giving him a lisp as he speaks. Sabo, against better knowledge, huffs a laugh and immediately regrets it upon the pain screaming through his torso.

"I'm fine. Not dead yet," he replies and carefully stands up. "I'll get some rest. You too, Luffy."

And with that that, under the unwavering gazes of both Luffy and Ace, he slowly makes his way upstairs.

* * *

 **Luffy**

Sabo has gone back to bed, upstairs this time. Ace is setting himself up in the other guestroom next to the kitchen. It's past noon. Luffy feels his own body slow down from fatigue and exhaustion, he doesn't know if that stems from physical or emotional activity. Probably both; he's been awake for hours. He needs to get some rest and get his head in order. Perhaps tomorrow…night…he'll have a better idea about what to do now and how to get his old life back. He'll ask Sabo and perhaps even Ace for advice. Yeah, that's a good idea.

If it wasn't for TV, phone and laptop announcing the time Luffy would even think it was the middle of the night. The entire house is shut off from daylight, not even a ray of sunshine gets through the thick shutters and curtains. If the lights are switched off the house is a pitch black cave. Before _everything_ , it would've concerned Luffy. Now he welcomes the darkness that relaxes his eyes and makes his body feel like it can breathe again.

The chain around his ankle rattles as he moves from the bathroom to the bedroom he'd first woken up in. Ace changed the sheets – no blood is left on the bed. Kinda…disappointing.

"You alright?" Ace asks from the living room.

Luffy nods, but he halts, uncertain. Ace looks at him patiently and he swallows dryly, before he lifts his gaze. He still has no damn clue what kind of stuff happened between Ace and Sabo – but Luffy definitely saw the hurt in his face when he caught them fooling around a little. So…does that mean that –

"I assume you're staying here for a bit, hm?" Ace asks to his surprise.

He nods, his train of thought caught off.

"I guess…I mean, not that I have any chance of getting home right now."

"Bu you want to go home, I assume?" Ace asks.

He nods. Ace is fairly observant it seems.

"And you tried to crash the chain?"

Luffy's cheeks fill with heat as he looks at the older man, dumbfounded. "How..?"

Ace smiles tiredly and yawns. "I made tea earlier, remember? I found the meat tenderiser. And I can tell that you don't like being chained up like a dog, it's obvious."

Luffy's shoulders sink down. Of course.

Ace comes closer and gently ruffles his hair. A trusting gesture like that should make Luffy recoil – but he doesn't. Instead he faintly leans into the touch and closes his eyes. He doesn't understand how he can be so relaxed, he should stay away from Ace – that guy kills creatures like Luffy for a living. He also hurt Sabo really badly. But somehow… Ace just radiates a sense of tranquillity and calm that Luffy simply can't fight against.

Ace clears his throat. "I understand that. Wanting to go home, I mean. But the thing is…well, I don't know how much Sabo told you about mutations, but you guys, the reason why you're so dangerous is because you can't control your urges, like we're able to. If you get hungry out there – who's gonna provide you with blood, if not an innocent human or an unlucky vampire?"

Luffy shrugs helplessly. He doesn't know.

"Don't get me wrong, I couldn't care less about humans, but hives like Cipherpol 0 want to protect humans and other vampires from you mutations. That's why we, or rather Sabo, can't let you roam around on your own. Not until he's figured out how to help you. He doesn't want to be the one who has to kill you after all."

"And what about you?"

The hand leaves his hair and suddenly Ace's finger is under his chin, lifting his gaze so their eyes meet.

"I told you already. If you don't have a bounty there's no reason for me to go after you."

"And what if that changes?" Luffy replies heatedly.

Ace's smile is hypnotising and frightening at once. "You _know_ what happens if that changes."

With that he turns around and strides toward the guestroom he's staying. Luffy stares at his back, his chest refusing to let air inside his lungs. His eyes travel upward to the ceiling, where Sabo is right now passed out on the bed. He…he kinda said the same thing, he said he also wouldn't kill Luffy unless he gets the orders to. So…actually, right now Luffy is at the safest place and at the same time the most dangerous place for him, depending on what information these guys get. Saviours now but they could both turn into predators within a heartbeat.

He trembles.

This is scary.

"Luffy."

He startles. Ace is turning around to him once more, his face expressionless.

"Don't forget who you're dealing with. We are vampires. And vampires aren't good people. They've _never_ been good people, so don't fool yourself into thinking that Sabo or I are different. We're not."

And before Luffy can reply Ace closes the door to his room quietly and leaves him alone.

Shaking.

He flees back to the bedroom, shuts the door and crawls under the blanket, pulls his legs up to his chest. His head is spinning. He doesn't think he'll be able to find sleep any time soon, but against his expectation his eyes fall close and he is gone.

* * *

 **Sabo**

He wakes up hours later from the relentless ringing of his phone. He blinks into the darkness and blindly throws his arm across the nightstand. Loose change, a box of tissues and the lamp clatter to the ground before he finally finds the noisy thing. He answers the call and lifts the gadget to his ear. He carefully sits up and leans against the headboard. His chest protests.

"Yeah? Robin?" Sabo yawns.

"Sorry for waking you, but we've inspected the data you send us. Sabo, where are you right now? And where is the mutation?"

Robin's voice is calm as usual, but there is a hardened edge to it that has Sabo jerking wide awake faster than any cold water could manage. Robin is the smartest, wisest, most capable woman and vampire he's ever met. And if she only shows a hint of trouble, then for Sabo it means war.

"We're still at the house. He's downstairs, I guess he's still sleeping. Why? Should I wake him up?"

Her voice is faster than lightning. "Yes. I need you to confirm something. We received reliable reports that some mutations showed weird scars on their bodies. It's where data stores as well as tracking devices are operated underneath the skin. I need you to look if the boy has one of these. If so, you are possibly in danger. Also, I need you get that data storage out of him. It could provide helpful intel on the whole mutation affair."

Sabo blinks, his brain racing. "Wait – wait, what?"

Robin sighs and says, slower this time. "Go and see if he has weird scars on his body. It would also explain why he suddenly got migraine when he tried to recollect what happened to him three years ago. Don't waste time, Sabo. This is potentially serious. Call me immediately if you need back-up."

"Ah, ok –"

"Use force if necessary, but I'd appreciate if you left him alive. Contact me as soon as you have new intel."

"Yes."

"You need to get that tracker out of him as soon as possible. Because if they do track him, then they know where _you_ are, Sabo. And I don't need to lose another hunter because of these mutations."

"Yes, I understand."

The connection is gone.

Sabo rubs his eyes and blindly stares into the darkness. His phone says it is quarter to seven in the evening. Alright, new orders then, time for some action. Slow action.

It takes a lifetime for him to get out of bed without straining his torso too much and whilst cursing Ace as well as his younger self internally with the worst swear words he can think of, he slowly moves toward the light switch he remembers next to the stairs. Which is, by all means, a sinister place to situate a light switch. It's kind of a recurring gamble between luck and death. Sabo is lucky. Unfortunately.

Downstairs is eerily quiet. The doors to Luffy's room as well as Ace's are closed. He lets out a deep sigh and slowly makes his way over to the guestroom Ace so brazenly claimed for himself. He softly knocks on the door.

"Ace? You awake?"

"The hell do you want?" is the prompt reply.

He clenches his right hand into a fist. "Listen, can I come inside for a second? We need to talk."

"…"

He rolls his eyes. Goddamn, Ace and his desire for politeness already annoyed the shit out of him back then in Egypt.

"Please?" Sabo adds with the voice of Oliver Twist.

He hears an amused snort on the other side of the door and immediately the door swings open, revealing Ace clad in casual clothes standing there, headphones in his neck and his phone in his hand. Ace gestures him inside and closes the door behind him. Sabo thankfully sits down on the rumpled bed and he tries hard to ignore the delicious scent drifting up his nose. Ace stands by the door.

"Let me guess, it's about the little mutation you want to bang?" Ace asks.

"I don't – urgh, whatever." He's too injured to argue. "Listen, my boss contacted me. I need to confirm something about Luffy and that's why I need your help."

Ace nods thoughtfully. "Elaborate."

"Apparently he has data storage and a tracking device somewhere on his body or rather under his skin. We need to find it and basically cut it out of him. And we need to hurry, Robin said."

"Hm, I see." He doesn't sound interested at all. More bored out of his mind.

"And I can't do that in this state. So, _please_ , Ace. I need your help."

The man looks at him for a long moment, before a small evil smile lights up his features in the most arousing and threatening way. "What's in it for me?"

Sabo sighs. He knows this will come back to bite him in the ass, sooner or later. But whatever. He doesn't care right now; he has more pressing matters to worry about.

"Whatever you want. I'll owe you a favour."

Ace's eyes narrow with suspicion. "Are you sure? Not a wise choice given our circumstances. And history."

"If you'd wanted me dead you would've left me there on that clearing. So I'm just gonna trade in my luck and hope for the best," Sabo drawls.

A vicious headache starts building in his temples. He hears Ace move across the room until he stands before him, peering down at him with matt black holes where eyes and a soul should be. His smell gives nothing away.

"…Let's say I agree. How are you going to go about it? Tell Luffy that you need to examine him and possibly cut him open to dig a tracking device out?"

"Pretty much."

"He'll be scared."

"He'll understand."

Ace raises his brows. "Are you sure?"

No, he isn't. But what the fuck else should they do? Tie him down, rip his clothes off and examine him like an animal?

Ace shakes his head; he throws his headphones onto the bed next to Sabo and slides his phone into his pocket.

"Well, it's your call. I can help you, but you do the talking. You got the orders, so go and explain it to him. Good luck."

* * *

"You want to what?" Luffy asks, staring wide-eyed and tense from Sabo to Ace and back.

He sits by the pillows, Sabo at the end of the mattress, and Ace is leaning against the dresser opposite of the bed. He wonders f Luffy noticed that they locked the door. His hair is tousled from sleep; Sabo actually had to shake him awake. He feels bad for doing so. He feels even worse for what he is going to do to him.

"Do you…maybe know if there's a weird scar somewhere on your body? A scar that wasn't there previously?" Sabo tries again.

Luffy shrugs and pulls the sleeves of the shirt up to his elbows to examine his skin.

"I-I don't think so…"

"What about your back?" Ace asks calmly.

"I…well, it's –"

"How about you take your clothes off and we –"

"B-but if you do find something, what are you gonna do?" Luffy shouts angrily and moves backwards until his back meets the wall. His eyes are so wide and filled with dread and rage Sabo finds himself reminded of what happened at the church.

"We-we will try to get it out of you –"

"This is insane, you're trying fucking kill me, I knew it!"

Fangs flash and he sees Luffy's talons bite into the mattress. Damn it… Behind him, Ace digs his face into his palm.

Sabo tries it with reason: "Luffy, listen, we won't kill you, we're not here to hurt you, but we need you to –"

But Ace interrupts and barks: _"STRIP!"_ over the top of Sabo's head.

Sabo rears around. "Don't use that voice on him," he hisses, but the vampire just shrugs.

"We're wasting time."

Luffy growls at them, eyes flashing, but with shaking fingers he lifts his hands to slowly pull the shirt over his head. And then shorts and boxers down his slim legs. His glare could freeze hell. Sabo rubs his eyes. Fuck this, this is definitely _not_ how this should've gone. Now he sits before them, stark naked, his chest showing the horrendous x-shaped scar Sabo already noticed the first time he'd undressed him, after the incident at the church. Aside from that though he doesn't seem to have many blemishes on his tanned skin. Sabo keeps himself from looking at his crotch. It seems inappropriate.

"Suddenly you got morals stopping you? Where was that in 1817?" Ace says flatly.

Before Sabo can reply Ace approaches the bed. A hiss rips the tense silence apart and Sabo shakes his head. Better get this done quickly.

"Where would you implant a tracking device and shit like that?" Sabo asks.

"…Somewhere where it doesn't get damaged easily."

Their eyes meet.

"Near the skull."

Ace walks around the bed, with a set of dangerous eyes following his every movement, and he sits down, cross-legged, seemingly casual. Sabo can tell what his plan is, frankly he'd do the same if he wasn't in such a bad condition. Still, it feels wrong to him, on so many levels. To not only use the alpha voice on Luffy and thus force him to submit. No, also forcing him to go along with this, against his will, because he is scared and confused… It feels so wrong.

But Sabo has his orders. And Robin wants results soon. He has no time to shy away from his task.

Ace fixes his gaze as he slowly lifts his left arm to his own mouth. With a quick jerk of his head he sinks his fangs into his own skin and immediately the delicious scent of Ace's blood hits Sabo's head like a wall. He exhales and then proceeds to breathe through his mouth; his head blurring as the alluring taste fills his lungs nevertheless, coats his tongue as if he was already lapping it up. Memories start colouring his vision but he forces the images away. This is not the time nor place.

He can smell Ace's self-satisfaction in the air.

He hears Luffy's stomach grumble and his dark eyes are now solely fixed on Ace's bleeding arm. The man wastes no time indeed.

 _"Come here. Drink as much as you like and keep still."_

The reaction comes at once. Luffy darts forward quick like a cobra and sinks his fangs into the bleeding arm with a low moan that shoots into Sabo's lower regions. He bites his lip and stares at the bemusing scene before him. Against his will a pang of possessiveness surges through him and anger rises like bail in his throat.

"Hurry up, Sabo."

He moves forward across the mattress, looking out for his injuries, and then settles next to the boy's body. Luffy is kneeling in front of Ace's legs, hands wrapped around his arm, but he is limb otherwise, naked and vulnerable. He doesn't even flinch as Sabo lays a hand into his nape. But he does feel him recoil a little.

Poor thing.

"By his ears?" Ace tries to help.

Sabo runs his fingers over the soft skin surrounding Luffy's ears. Nothing unusual to be found there. He slides his fingers into the think hair and carefully manoeuvres his tips around. He's about to retract when he feels something, a little line rising up over the otherwise flat skin. He blinks and pulls the shaggy strands of hair away.

"I-I think this is it," Sabo murmurs. There, at the base of his skull, just there hidden in is hair. The scar is maybe half a finger long, and it looks surgically done.

Ace looks at sucks a sharp breath in through his teeth.

"You got any experience with surgery of that kind?" Ace asks.

"Of course not," he replies. "Fuck, what are we gonna do now? And no, killing him is not an option."

Ace's brows knit together. "Well, I –"

A punishing ringing sound comes from Sabo's pocket. Both of them flinch harder than they should. Sabo curses in a low voice and fishes the annoying thing from the back of his jeans. The display announces…Sanji…calling…?

Wait, what is going on –

"Sanji? Hey –," Sabo answers but his voice is drowned out by the noise of a large fire in the background and Sanji's frantic panting into the microphone. His stomach coils inward and dread fills his heart. "Sanji –"

"SABO YOU NEED TO GET AWAY THEY FOUND US!" Sanji is yelling and Sabo nearly drops his phone. He puts him on speaker.

"What, who? Who found us, what are you talking about - ?"

"LEAVE YOU NEED TO LEAVE WHEREVER YOU ARE THEY ARE COMING!"

"WHO? WHO IS COMING?!" Sabo shouts with panic but the connection is dead.

He lifts his eyes to Ace's. Who looks at him sternly.

"What was he talking about?" Ace asks and the hardness of his tone makes Luffy flinch.

 _"Luffy, stop. Come back to yourself and put your clothes on,"_ Sabo overwrites Ace's last order and with a relieved groan Luffy reels back, mouth bloody and dripping, and his eyes flash at Sabo.

"What was that call?" he asks, his voice high with terror, his fear drowning out his anger. He quickly throws his clothes back on, not minding the blood.

"I-I don't know."

"Well, it didn't sound good, so let's heed his advice and get away from here," Ace says, resolution hardening his tone. He stands up from the bed.

Sabo frantically tries to call Sanji's phone. No connection is made. The bad feeling crawling in his guts only worsens.

"Sabo?" Luffy asks.

"Yeah…yeah, alright, we need to pack our gear and move –" Sabo tries to collect his thoughts when a sound cuts him off.

It's the sound of an airplane flying low. With a pained groan Sabo hobbles to the window and pulls the shutter up. The darkness of the forest creeps into the room.

"It sounds like a plane. No, several planes," Ace muses and moves to the other window, peering out to glimpse the night sky.

"Could it be a coincidence?" Luffy asks and moves next to Sabo, squinting ouside.

"Well…"

Sabo curses his vampire eyes for being so utterly useless in the darkness. His ears clearly make out three or four different planes dashing across the sky, but he can't quite pinpoint where – and how close they are.

"Maybe we're freaking out over nothing after all," Ace says but from his tone Sabo knows that he doesn't believe his own words. And there's still Sanji's call… Sabo's chest is tight. Sanji is a capable vampire. It takes some serious bullshit to gauge a reaction out if him, and his voice just now, that had been pure, raw _fear_.

 _But who would just attack Sanji? Or our hive? Who…?_

He cranes his neck to see as much of the starless sky as possible. The engines are getting louder, the roaring of the machines starts drumming in his ears.

"But what if –," he starts and then he sees something, hardly visible against the blue, four shadows moving…And the flash of a torpedo.

His heart lurches.

His hands grabs Luffy's arm.

He can only scream at Ace and Luffy to get down to the quaking ground when the world explodes around him and his vision sinks into fire.

* * *

 **To be continued.**

 **I hope you guys liked Ace's introduction to the story.**  
 **I admit I have a soft spot for the AceSabo ship, but for now the tags will stay as they are. It will most likely depend on the readers and what they want to see if the tags will expand to AceSabo and AceLu or even AceSaboLu, I'm willing to write it all.**

 **Also I wasn't sure if I should set this story in the "real world", because I usually try to avoid doing that. But in the end I thought it would be a fun addition, but please don't be too harsh on me. It's fanfic, it's fun, and it's not supposed to be some kind of tourist guide for Northern America or whatever other location this will take place in. However, I apologise for any mistakes I made.**

 **Thank you for reading!**


	3. Chapter 3

**Hello everyone,**

 **So first of all I want to thank everyone who commented on the last chapter and who left kudos. Thank you so much for your support, it really means the world! I'm so glad people enjoy this story and I'm hoping that you will like this chapter.**

 **I have to say at this point this story is easily the most interesting one I have ever worked on. Not only because it was born out of spite, but because I'm exploring these characters in a setting I never thought I'd write. So it's fun and exciting to see how this story develops.**

 **At the end of the last chapter I asked readers if they'd like to see the ships AceLu, AceSabo and AceSaboLu and I received overwhelmingly positive answers. It seems people really like to ship these three in every combination (myself included), so I changed the tags accordingly. I hope I won't disappoint anyone who hoped for only SaboLu, I promise I will give all ships enough attention.**

 **So, without further ado, I hope you'll enjoy this chapter.**

 **I don't own One Piece nor any of the characters.**

* * *

 **Sabo**

He wakes up with ashes in his lungs and his ribcage weeping blood onto the forest ground. His whole body convulses as he desperately gulps air spiced with heat and he retches blood and black bile out. The whole world is turning and everything hurts.

His useless eyes barely see, his ears ring with a punishing noise blurring out all other sounds around him. He looks around, he tries to make anything out, but all he sees is a cage of fire, flames licking high into the black night sky and smoke and sparks slicing across his blurred vision. He presses a hand against the open wound on his chest; he knows the sutures have opened again. If it wasn't for the bandages he'd surely see his own intestines in the dirt beneath him.

His mouth forms words. Although he doesn't hear them he knows he is shouting for Ace and Luffy. He can't see them in the remains of the house.

Sabo's been alive for centuries and it's by far not the first time someone has tried to kill him. However, he's never been shot at with a goddamn fucking ballistic missile, that's definitely a first. He grimaces and tries to sit up from where he is sprawled helplessly underneath rubbish and debris. He coughs and after a few moments of struggling he can lift his aching, bleeding body into something like a sitting position.

He scans the sky, but the planes are gone – he can't hear them close, but he still catches the roaring of the engines, a good distance from them. He wonders if they'll return, but he doesn't want to linger long enough to find out.

"Luffy! Ace!" he shouts and finally he can hear his voice again, raw and shaky, like the rest of his body. He tries to shout again but a coughing fit rumbles through his chest and he feels even more blood pouring out of him.

"Sabo!" Ace's voice comes from somewhere on the right of him.

"A-Ace!" he chokes out and swallows a new wave of punishing coughs burning in his chest. Forgotten is their past for the moment – all that is important is them getting away from here.

He sees movement, blurred from the flames, and then a dark shadow approaches in lightning speed and a moment later two arms wrap around his trembling frame to help him into an upright position. He retches blood between his legs but he doesn't care.

"L-Luffy – wh-where?" he breathes but Ace hushes him.

Sabo still can't see him well, but it looks as though Ace is mostly unharmed, aside from a nasty cut on the side of his face and his clothes more burned than anything. But he has all his limbs attached, which is a relief.

"I couldn't find him yet. Listen, we need to get away from here, if they come back –"

"L-Luffy, he –"

"Sabo, stop moving! I'll look for him, but _stop moving_!"

And suddenly, before he can fight a protest out of his charred throat, he feels one arm under his legs and another under his back and he is lifted up like a fucking maiden. He would've sank his claws into Ace's heart if it wasn't for his own nearly jumping out of his open chest, so he only weakly grips Ace's burned shirt and lets the bounty hunter carry him out of the fire, toward the forest, which is quite the distance. That missile destroyed everything around the house and trees and bushes are splintered and broken on the ground like toys.

He can feel his life draining out of him, quite literally, the more blood he loses, the more he feels himself weakening, his mind slows down, his strength is gone. The lust, no, _need_ for blood is tearing at his sanity, his fangs elongate until they reach out from under his lip and bite into his skin. The familiar smell of Ace's blood fills his nostrils. His body jerks.

"Ace…" he breathes, only half-aware that he is twisting his agonised body to look up into his face and see the blood from his cut trailing down his neck.

The sight and especially the _smell_ make his tongue throb.

"Ace –"

"Shut up, Sabo."

But he feels the tremor in Ace's body, he can tell that Ace is interested –

His fingers move up, to trail down the crimson stream leaking down his neck and Ace's black eyes bore into his, both lust and rage battling against each other. Sabo is taken aback for a moment, before his physical need for blood wipes all other concern out of his brain.

 _"Let me bite you."_

He breathes it like he'd moan his name and now he sees how Ace bites his lower lip and his brows furrow in an exasperated attempt to stay calm. The arms around his legs and back tighten their hold.

"Ace…"

"Shut up, Sabo!" Ace repeats.

Suddenly the man crouches, in front of a pine tree, and surprisingly gently Sabo is let down between its knobbly roots onto the clammy ground. The prominent smell of pine needles and resin fills his nostrils and he feels like he can breathe again, away from the fire and destruction of the house.

"Stay here and don't move," Ace growls at him.

His hands fly forward and claw vicelike into what is left of Ace's shirt. His gums ache, the need for blood is boiling in his stomach, he needs blood, now, _now_ –

"Ace, I –"

Ace's hands, talons now longer than his own, grab his wrists and release his hold with a swift yank. That sudden exhibit of strength exceeding his own would've made Sabo furious if it wasn't for his desperate blood lust drumming through his emptying veins. He tries to lean forward, to grab Ace, something, anything, but a strong hand against his shoulder pushes him back, flat against the tree trunk.

"Stay here and don't move," Ace growls, eyes blackened, without any light left.

"Ace –"

"I'll find Luffy and then you can bite me. So fucking stay here!"

Ace can't use alpha voice on Sabo, and yet he feels as though his muscles tense up at the snarled command and his breathing hitches. He swallows a reply and with that Ace stands back up and strides back toward the wall of fire where the house had been.

* * *

 **Ace**

 _I should've stayed home…_

His own talons dig into his skin as he clenches his hands to angry fists. His sneakers have nearly burned off of his feet as he stalks across the burning yard of destruction and debris, in search of Luffy – and in search of anything he can use as a weapon. In case these fuckers who shot at them still have people on the ground, seeking to finish them off. God knows who these fuckers had been, but shooting a fucking missile at a house is no joke anymore. This is serious.

Ace tastes ashes on his tongue and spits out. The cut on his cheek hurts, but he got off lightly, no major damage to his body. He shakes his head as dark humour forms his thoughts. Who would've known it would only take a ballistic missile, a nearly lethal wound across Sabo's torso and a weird-ass mutation for the man to finally cling to him again.

He grits his teeth, determination steeling his steps.

He won't let Sabo get away from him. Not this time.

As he's done so many, many times over the centuries, Ace curses his useless vampire eyes in the darkness. He can barely make anything out, the fire is still burning with passion, however the shadows between the debris and leftovers of the house's groundwork are dark, and whatever is left of the furniture is strewn around, broken and destroyed. It's hard to make anything out, so he has to rely on sound and smell alone.

Although, he'd have trouble _hearing_ a corpse…and recognising the smell of a fresh dead body, within all this destruction…could be a challenge.

He just sees it by chance.

The screen of his phone is completely smashed, but the fire mirrors itself nicely in the hundreds of shards, otherwise he wouldn't have seen it at all. He leans down and plucks the leftovers of his gadget from the ground. He sighs and takes the SIM and memory card from the side compartments and then drops the useless thing on the ground.

He takes another step and something clanks underneath his foot. He flinches, looking down once more.

A broken chain.

He blinks.

"…Fuck."

He hears a flap of fabric and he can barely throw himself to the side as Luffy's claws rip through the air where his face just was. The boy crashes to the ground, panting, growling, and dripping a puddle of blood onto the ground that smells so intense it's a fucking punch in the face.

Ace scrambles back to his feet, lifting his own claws in front of him. "Luffy. Snap out of it, we have more serious problems," he hisses, agitated yet calm.

A growl is the answer. Luffy's skin is painted dark from his own blood and grime and his face is contorted to deep canyons of unhidden aggression. His lips pull up to reveal his fangs and a sharp hiss wrenches out of his throat. Ace swallows dryly. Luffy's eyes are dark, so dark, and blank. It's like staring into the blind gaze of a corpse.

 _"Luffy. Snap out of it, now!"_ he barks in his alpha voice, but the moment Luffy's name leaves his mouth he knows it won't work. Alpha voice works on humans and vampires.

Not animals.

Or monsters.

Luffy just stares at him, a snake before attacking, he crouches on the ground, his talons long and curved and glinting in the fire behind him. His clothes are mostly blown off of his body; they hang off of his limbs in rags and his skin is covered with dirt and blood. He looks so pitiable Ace would have probably felt compassion if it wasn't for the boy – for the mutation – hungry for his blood and also his death right this moment.

Hard to imagine this thing is the pretty man he'd talked to just a few hours ago. The boy who'd been drinking blood from him just before that fucking missile hit the house.

He pushes his hesitance away. He kills Luffy's kind for a living.

He rolls his shoulders and lifts his talons higher. He doesn't have his scythe with him, but he wouldn't be a bounty hunter if he couldn't kill without his favourite weapon. Bounty hunters never come unarmed. His lips pull into a smirk.

This could be fun.

"Alright then," he says in a low voice, his left hand moving to guard his face and the right stretched before him, but instead of a fist he has his palm open, but not in a sign of surrender but to show that idiot mutation that his talons are just as long and blood-thirsty, and he has four centuries of experience guiding them into Luffy's heart.

A growl reaches him, but no coherent word. Not that he expected it, not given how Luffy looks like.

The mutation stares at him, body so tense Ace wonders if he is just seconds before breaking – before _exploding_.

He's ready either way.

"C'mon then."

He barely utters these two words when Luffy suddenly jumps and his talons are right before him, glinting, sharp and pointed at his throat.

Ace hisses and dodges and before Luffy can turn his flying body Ace steps to the side and grabs the skinny arms with his own hands. He turns and throws the boy against the nearest piece of debris, apparently something that belonged to the stairs – the slim body crashes against the wood and concrete with a sickly cracking sound. He falls into the mud and dirt, a yelp of pain leaving his mouth.

Ace hisses again. The smell of Luffy's blood wafts over to him, thick and delicious, although he'd never fucking dare to drink it. Who even knows what these people pumped into his veins.

The boy stands up again, but his left arm loosely hangs at his side. In the shadow of the fire his blood is dark like ink and runs down his skin in meshed rivers. Looks like his shoulder took most of the impact.

Ace grins. "That dislocated your shoulder, huh?" he asks, satisfaction ringing in his voice and he knows it.

Luffy lets out a violent cry that sounds so irritatingly animal-like, so savage and vicious the hairs on the back of Ace's neck start to stand up. His grin dies as he measures him.

"You got enough now?"

No reply, of course not.

"Hm?"

Luffy's mouth splits open again to reveal his teeth, red from his blood but his fangs are long like little daggers and reach wide, all the way past his bottom lip. He snarls at Ace and readies himself.

So predictable.

"I take that as a 'no' then," Ace muses, but this time he doesn't let Luffy do the first move.

Ace jumps forward and he sees the surprise in those dark, empty eyes, he sees the shock and the fear, such _fear_ beneath the anger – and for a split-second Ace wonders if he should just do it the old-fashioned way. He'd drag his talons across his torso to leave long red stripes of torn skin and deep wounds to slow him down, but then he decides otherwise.

He pretends to strike with his left and Luffy's intact right hand dodges him, of course he doesn't notice it's a feint as his talons dig into Ace's skin – locking him in place and leaving his own face, throat and upper body open and unguarded.

Such a beginner's mistake.

Ace clenches his right hand to a fist and slams it against Luffy's unguarded jaw.

The boy howls with pain as the impact throws him back to the ground. Within a heartbeat Ace is above him and sends another punch against Luffy's temple. His knuckles burst open, but Luffy is still conscious and glares up at him.

Ace snarls and closes his left hand around Luffy's slim throat. Slowly, steadily he increases the pressure; he feels the violent tremors in that slender body beneath him, the panicked gulping of air through the windpipe underneath his palm.

Luffy's right hand flies to Ace's wrist, he desperately tries to ease the hold but Ace won't budge – it takes more to make him relieve his grasp. The long talons rip at his skin and he only tightens his grip.

Luffy hisses and then spits blood into his face.

Ace narrows his eyes.

"…You know I could make it really painful for you. Could break your other arm. Then your legs. Then I could tear your limbs off your torso, limb after limb, and I wouldn't let you die, not until your head is left," he murmurs. "I've done that already. It's fun. But also a mess, though in these ruins no one would care, right?"

A low growl is his answer.

He studies the face of the mutation. Even dark from dirt and blood and forming a grimace painted with anger, fear and grief, even now he is pretty. In the strangest way even now he looks alluring, it's the type of face one never grows tired looking at. There's still rebellion beating through his body, there's still resilience and the will to fight smouldering in these empty eyes and it gives him a strange beauty Ace hasn't encountered in a long time.

Perhaps that's the reason Sabo was – is – so infatuated with him, who knows.

Ace finds himself hesitating once more tonight as he looks at him, takes in his appearance, the leftovers of a young human man who deserved better than ending up like this.

Maybe it would be kinder to kill him. He could get the data storage and tracking device out of him anyways, it wouldn't matter if he was alive or not.

He sighs.

"I will probably regret this," he murmurs to himself and lifts his right hand to brush his hair away from his ear. One of the perks of having longer hair is the fact that hardly anyone takes note of ears.

He has a row of earring holes in both his ears, accumulated over decades and centuries of changing cultures and beauty standards, depending where he'd lived over the long time he's been on this godforsaken planet. But they're not only for decoration.

Bounty hunters never come unarmed.

Amongst others he has a long silvery earring dangling from his right earlobe. It's a silvery chain out of mith steel, just like his scythe, and attached to the chain is a snow white cross. Dark grey veins are scattered across the marble-like surface and an unearthly glow emanates from the jewellery.

He sees Luffy's eyes grow narrow.

He unclasps the cross. It innocently rests in the palm of his hand.

"You know what this is? This was made from a stalagmite. But not just any stalagmite. It's from the Underworld. It's called Hades blade," he explains.

He watches Luffy's face as he continues.

"I'm not sure this will help you. Perhaps it's going to kill you. If not and you're still like this I'll have to kill you anyways, so there is no harm in trying. But these Underworld items have weird powers. So let's hope this'll help you snap out of this state.

"I usually use this when I have more dangerous missions. Ogres and Wendigos and all those other nasty shits that no one likes."

His right hand closes and the familiar heat starts from his palm, a beam of cold, icy blue flames starts to lick through his fingers without hurting him and then he feels the weight of a blade in his hand, the familiar handle of the long knife he's used quite a few times already.

The blade is just as white and covered with grey veins like the cross, and the weight is reassuring. A heat lies within it, a heat not from this world; it makes his skin tingle and his heart race.

He paid quite a price to get this thing, but he never regretted his purchase.

Luffy's hisses are getting louder and with renewed satisfaction he sees the growing fear in his eyes and he writhes beneath Ace, desperate wails erupting from him.

Ace almost feels sorry for him.

"Perhaps you should close your eyes. This could hurt," he smirks as he lifts the knife high over his head.

And Luffy screams as he rams it down into his forehead.

* * *

 **Sabo**

He wakes with a start. His eyes fly open and the panic surges through him like an electric shock, and he looks around, disoriented and confused until a hand comes to rest on his shoulder.

"Relax. You're safe for now," Ace murmurs and Sabo's head whips around to face the other vampire.

"Ace! Wh-where - ?!"

Ace hushes him and shakes his head.

They seem to be inside a wooden hut, Sabo doesn't recognise it, though.

It's scarcely furnished, there's a single bed in one corner, a small kitchen counter, a book shelf, a table, two stools and a slim door leading into another room – probably the bathroom, Sabo suspects.

What is odd, though… is that it looks lived-in. There are books piled up on the shelf, there is a pot left on the stove, the fridge is humming and although everything looks old and worn, it looks well taken care off. Pictures and coal drawings are pinned to the walls and little decorative rocks and dried flowers are placed everywhere.

The shutters are closed but faint traces of sunlight still come through the cracks. Sabo slowly sits up and he recognises that he's been resting on the floor, on a pile of blankets. Ace is seated beside him and because the cabin is so irritatingly narrow, he can lean against the wall at the same time.

He looks at Ace and then at the blankets thoughtfully draped over him and spread out underneath him, so he didn't have to lie on the hard ground.

He blinks.

That was nice of him.

 _But how…?_

Ace exhales slowly. Then he nods over his shoulder and Sabo's eyes grow wide. Their scythes!

"I walked past this cabin when I got off the plane. It's outside your territory. I carried you here and then Luffy. Then I dug out our weapons and I found your phone. Honestly, you have to think of a better code than the year you died, Sabo," the man says with an exhausted smile.

"And - ?"

"I talked to your boss. She wants us to come to your base, although she didn't want to give me the coordinates. So she told me to wait for you to wake up."

Sabo nods and then the distinct metallic smell of dried blood fills his nostrils. He looks to the bed. Luffy rests on the mattress, apparently still unconscious. From what he can see, parts of his torso and arms are wrapped in bandages.

Sabo's brows knit together. He can't recall when he actually drifted off into a daze, but he knows that he'd heard Ace talk and then animalistic growling, followed by pained howls. He'd wanted to help but alas – his body had been too damaged.

Yet now his heart is filled with relief. Ace could've killed Luffy. But he didn't, God knows why.

He looks back to the man.

And he opens his mouth, but no words come out; he is, indeed, speechless. He doesn't know what to say to express his gratitude. Ace did all this, so much, although he didn't have to. No, more than that he would've had every reason to let both Sabo and Luffy die, after what Sabo did to him all these decades ago.

But he didn't. Ace decided to help.

Sabo slowly shakes his head.

He wonders if he'd done the same had the roles been reversed. To be honest, he doesn't think so.

A deep ache in his chest reminds him of his own injuries and he looks down to see his upper body re-wrapped with white linen. He swallows dryly.

He should thank Ace.

Instead he says: "What time is it?"

"Late afternoon. You two almost slept through the entire day," Ace replies.

"…What about the human who lives here?" Sabo asks and he feels stupid for asking this, because there are so many more pressing questions colliding in his head, but he can't order them just yet.

"I sucked his blood," Ace says with a shrug.

Sabo narrows his eyes at him. "What?"

"Prophylactically. You'll need blood and so does Luffy," Ace says impatiently. "And feeding both of you is too much, even for me."

"Did you –"

"He's not dead. When I was finished I _convinced_ him to go on a spontaneous pilgrimage to Mount St Helens."

Sabo's eyes grow wide. "Dude, he'll be walking for days!"

"Well then he won't bother us here, right?" Ace replies with a yawn. "I know you're an ungrateful piece of shit, but pipe down. The dude will live and so will you two, whether you deserve it or not. Save your criticism for later."

Sabo lets out a frustrated groan, but then he decides to let it go. No reason to get worked up over this, he has other problems that need attention. He sits up more and grimaces at the vicious ache tearing at his chest. He lifts his hand. His whole arm feels heavy and weak as he runs his fingers through his hair and brushes it away from his eyes. Although he just woke up it feels like he's been awake for years, without rest.

"You look like shit, by the way," Ace says and Sabo snorts.

"So do you."

"Shall we wake him up now? Or wait?" Ace asks. He sounds bored out of his mind.

Sabo's eyes glide back to the bed. Luffy's body is unmoving. If it wasn't for the soft breathing one could've assumed he's dead, that's how still he lies. A weird force starts tugging at his chest, although it's a different pain from before. He blinks, but then turns his gaze away.

"He should rest a while longer."

"Alright."

Ace doesn't wait and suddenly Sabo is taken aback from his own phone being thrown into his face. He is barely able to catch it before it hits him flat across the nose. Ace snickers.

"Call your boss, so we can plan our leaving."

" _Our_ leaving? Who says you're coming with us?"

As these words leave his mouth, he knows he shouldn't have asked. Ace's eyes get dark at once, pitch-black and piercing. The smirk vanishes from his features as though he'd imagined it and Sabo feels goose bumps forming along his arms as the temperature inside the cabin drops. His heart jumps as Ace moves forward and suddenly he is in front of him, kneeling next to his thighs and his face only inches away from his own.

Fuck, Sabo _hates_ the way his heart jerks at the sudden proximity.

"You think I'll let you get away after I saved your ass?" Ace growls, his hot breath ghosting over Sabo's skin. "You owe me big for this."

"I owe you, but that doesn't mean I'll let you come with us to the base," Sabo protests weakly. His stomach churns, his gums tingle as he is so close to Ace's prominent veins, he knows exactly where he used to bite him back then, all these years ago when they'd been in Egypt…

His fangs prolong as he meets Ace's burning gaze.

"How would I know that you're not a spy? You're a damn bounty hunter after all."

Ace's smile is hypnotising. Not because it is beautiful, although it is, but because it is a smile that couldn't look more threatening.

"You'll just have to trust me."

"I don't."

"Is that my fault?"

Sabo's eyes narrow, but he holds Ace's gaze. This is not the moment to back down, no matter how injured he is. He might have made some mistakes in the past, but this is different. Putting his friends at the hive in danger is not something up for debate.

As he doesn't reply, Ace snorts.

"Realistically speaking though, why the fuck would I care about your hive? Believe me, my pay is twice of what you get. And I don't have a boss ordering me around. I have no business making enemies with any hives here, only if they're aiming at my prey. So calm down."

Sabo's eyes glide to Luffy and then back to Ace.

"So you're after him?"

"Well, not yet."

His hand flies toward Ace's throat but Ace catches it mid-movement. The man's fingers close painfully tightly around Sabo's wrist. A hiss escapes Sabo's throat. He feels his cheeks heating up.

"What? Getting territorial over Luffy now?" Ace asks with a smirk that could also be a snarl.

Truth be told, he doesn't even know _whom_ he is actually getting territorial over. Which is confusing as fuck and also embarrassing as hell, and he'd rather swallow his tongue than give Ace any indication that there might be more than not-so subtle antagonism on Sabo's side.

He shoves these thoughts out of the way. Perhaps it's just the blood loss messing with his brain.

"Back off, Ace", Sabo growls and yanks his wrist free.

Ace lets him and they glare at each other for a moment, before Ace exhales slowly and part of the tension leaves his shoulders. The fire spitting out of his eyes reduces to a tired glow as he leans back.

"Honestly though, Sabo, I'm not the enemy. In 24 hours I've saved you more times than your ass deserves. And I'm not the guy who shot a fucking missile at us. So take a step back and look at yourself. Are you actually in the fucking position to drag yourself and Luffy to your base, wherever the fuck it is?"

He remains quiet, although Ace's words strike a nerve. He chews on a snarky reply, but Ace isn't finished yet.

"Sabo."

He looks up and meets Ace's gaze again. And he curses his heart that skips a beat.

"What?"

"I don't actually want you dead, if that's what you're worried about."

He snorts. "Well, that's comforting."

"Right? So, could you _please_ call your boss now and get those fucking coordinates so I can look up a route?"

"Do we even have a vehicle?"

"Yeah, the guy left his car."

Sabo contemplates for a moment, before he sighs. No use continuing this argument. So he might as well call Robin now. He's also dying to know what the fuck happened to Sanji. A shudder creeps down his spine. Hopefully his friend is still alive…

He grimaces as he slowly rises to his feet, his phone clenched in his hand. Ace watches him, his hands half lifted, as if he was just waiting for him to fall so he could play the knight in shining armour again. Sabo shows him the middle finger and slowly ambles over to the bathroom. He needs privacy.

* * *

 **Luffy**

He wakes up with the distinct feeling of his skull having been smashed to pieces. Such a horrible pain sits in his temples that he thinks he's gone blind for a moment, but then he wrenches his eyes open and recognises a wooden roof above him and gentle light pouring from a lamp slightly to the right. His body aches in places he didn't even know could hurt. His left arm throbs. An awful taste coats his tongue.

He seems to be resting on a bed. Though it's not the bed in Sabo's house. This one is smaller and less comfortable. He blinks; his head is not quite able yet to piece this mystery together. What is he doing here? Where is he? And why does he feel like a whole bunch of elephants trampled across his body?

He clears his dry throat and tries to lift his head. His ears catch the sound of muffled talking, apparently in a different room. He recognises Sabo's voice. Relief floods his chest. So Sabo is alive.

 _Wait –_

Were…were they attacked? He faintly remembers…him, Sabo and Ace in a room and then they'd looked outside…and then…?

What happened after? He can't remember…

He tries to sit up as another sound gets through to him and he cautiously stops his movement. He strains to look behind him. He hears steps approaching and then Ace moves into his field of vision, holding a jug and a cup. Water, apparently.

"How do you feel?" Ace asks, his face unmoving, as he sits down on a chair next to the bed. He pours water into the cup and hands it to him. He has a bad cut on the side of his face, but otherwise he seems in a good condition.

"I feel like shit. But thanks," Luffy replies. He takes a few gulps and coughs. "Wha-what happened?"

Ace calmly looks at him. He smiles, but the smile doesn't reach his eyes at all.

"What do you remember?"

He grimaces. His head hurts even worse as he tries to remember. "We…we were…at the house, right? And then…then a call happened! And we looked outside…"

In short words, Ace summarises what happened after. But weirdly… Luffy feels like he's leaving things out. He understands that Ace carried him and Sabo to this cabin, but…why was Luffy – was he in such a bad shape that he was unconscious for so long…?

Perhaps…

He rubs his aching arm.

"You still in pain?" the vampire asks.

"Yeah…"

"Do you remember anything at all?"

Something about that question rubs him the wrong way. He stares at the bounty hunter and narrows his eyes. "…Should I…?"

Ace holds his gaze for a moment, before he sighs and rolls his eyes.

"No need to glare at me. I don't know, did Kharon say hi? Did you see the Acheron again? Did Hypnos or Kharon offer you a deal or shit like that?"

"What the fuck are you talking about?" Luffy barks. His temples start to throb even worse. "You're not making sense."

"Stop joking, we both know you're bullshitting me. So tell me, did they say anything? They must have, since they send you back."

"I told you, I don't know what the fuck you're talking about!" Luffy replies angrily. Man, this is starting to really piss him off…

Now it's Ace's turn to narrow his eyes. Suddenly a large hand grabs his wrist and he is yanked forward. It doesn't hurt, but the sudden display of strength makes Luffy's heart flip backwards. Wide-eyed he stares at him.

" _You_ are the one not making sense. You've gotta know Kharon, because every fucking vampire knows him. He's the guy you meet after you die. The fucking ferryman you gotta pay if you want to cross the river Acheron," Ace hisses. "And he's the one to bid your farewell if you manage to return. There's no way you _don't_ know him."

Luffy honestly has no fucking idea what he is talking about. For a moment he wonders if Ace is only messing with him, but the growing disbelief on the man's face convinces him otherwise. But damn, he has no idea what these things mean and who the hell this "Kharon" person is. He's pretty sure he's never met anyone with that name.

And well, he can't remember the last three years. So he might've met him, but if he did, then he can't remember.

"…You _really_ don't know what I'm talking about…," Ace murmurs after a long moment and lets go off him. He leans back in his chair. His expression has turned thoughtful – and worried.

Luffy swallows dryly. Ace being worried can't be good.

"Hm… Don't know what to say now, to be honest…," Luffy mumbles and rubs his eyes. "Maybe I forgot."

"…Maybe…"

They stay silent for a while, until Luffy sighs. His stomach grumbles, but he ignores it for the meantime.

"What time is it? And what's the plan now?" he asks.

"Early evening. Sabo's talking to his hive right now. I guess we'll leave at some point tonight. Depending on how well you guys feel."

Luffy nods. He still feels weak and the pain in his body is only gradually subsiding. He may be alright if they don't have to walk. Thoughtfully he rubs his aching arm and shoulder. He has no idea what happened for it to ache so badly. Did he get buried underneath the second floor or so?

He's about to ask when the slim door at the end of the room opens and Sabo walks out, a pained grimace on his face, but otherwise he looks alright. Luffy's heart skips as their gazes lock and Sabo flashes him a relieved smile, before he turns to Ace and throws something at him. A phone. Ace catches it without looking.

"There you go. It should be a five-hour drive, I guess."

"Any new intel on the people who attacked us?" Ace asks and checks the phone.

"Apparently Robin wants to tell us – or me – in person."

" _Of course_ ," Ace replies sarcastically.

"How do you feel?" Sabo suddenly asks and Luffy moves to let him sit on the bed as well. He didn't think the presence of the other man would suddenly be so soothing; such a calming cure for his troubled heart.

"I'm alright," he answers. "And you…?"

"Never been better," Sabo grins, although it looks a little too forced. Yet Luffy notices the dark shadows beneath his eyes and his fangs that look unnaturally long. He doesn't think they'd been this elongated before. He smells of an intoxicating mix of blood and earth. Luffy swallows, he feels his own tongue curl and his gums prickle as his teeth prolong. He wants blood.

Sabo's blood. Ace's. Anyone's, he doesn't care…

"Sabo, we gotta talk for a moment," Ace's voice cuts into his conscious and Luffy's eyes glide forward again, to face the man who looks at them both with an expression of open annoyance.

"Do we?" Sabo asks, his voice less than unenthusiastic. Sabo glares at Ace. "Why?"

"Outside."

Ace glances at Luffy again and he thinks he may seem the hint of smile – but he might've also imagined it. Then he stands up and slides the phone into his pocket.

"Now," he emphasises and he heads toward the door.

Luffy watches Sabo's reaction. He looks annoyed, but not worried.

The blond man smiles at him again. "Won't take long, I guess."

"Yeah…"

"Try and get some more rest, ok?"

"Sabo?" Luffy calls his name, before he can even think about it.

Sabo halts. "Hm?"

"We're gonna go to your – your base or so, right?"

"That's the plan."

His fingers claw into the blanket. "Are they gonna do weird stuff with me…?"

Sabo snorts and shakes his head. "Of course not. No one's gonna touch you, no need to worry."

"Is that a promise?" he asks.

Sabo smiles that weird smile that doesn't show his teeth. He stands up. "Won't take long," he repeats. And then he's out of the cabin.

* * *

Luffy still looks at the door although the two men have already disappeared through it. He blinks and runs a hand through his hair. Even his scalp hurts.

He honestly has no idea what these two are debating now, they probably talk about him, but at this point Luffy is too tired to care. He's too tired and hungry to give a shit about their distrust and their weird plans. All he wants is – is blood and sleep. Everything else, all that happened in the past hours is madness.

Just madness. And it makes no sense thinking about it now.

He slowly gets up, it takes him what feels like a lifetime to throw his legs across the mattress and place them on the floor. He stands up on shaky legs and slowly ambles over to what is probably the bathroom. Sabo left the door open. It's just as narrow as the rest of the cabin, but there's a shower, a toilet and a washbasin. It looks clean.

He steps in front of the sink. He's about to wash his hands and spray some water into his face as he looks up, just by chance, to see how horrible he looks in the mirror.

His eyes widen.

"Wha…?"

He leans in closer. His face is the same as usual, his eyes big and dark. Dirt, ashes and dried blood stick to his skin, but that's not what has him so surprised. His eyes widen.

A whole strand of his hair has turned white.

* * *

 **Ace**

The guy who lived here has a surprisingly large car, bigger then Ace expected given the human's ridiculously small accommodation. But the pick-up truck is spacious, can fit six people and has a large boot. Also it's nearly fully tanked. That's good.

He sits in the back. Night has stretched across the forest. The silence is heavy on his ears – he wishes he hadn't lost his actual phone and headphones in the fire.

This situation is definitely not what he'd expected when coming here. He hadn't been to America for a long time; he'd spend about the last hundred years in different parts of Asia. The occurrence of so many mutations here had convinced him to go, for monetary reasons more than anything else. But he hadn't thought he'd meet Sabo again, especially not so soon. And he didn't think he'd find a mutation that is so unlike every other one he's encountered thus far.

Luffy's unnatural case is one thing he can't stop thinking about. The other is the vexing presence of the man who'd betrayed him and then left without a single explanation. It might've been two hundred years since it happened, but for vampires, such timespans are relative. The memories still hurt.

And his heart is still as stupid as it was before.

Perhaps…perhaps he shouldn't have attacked Sabo. It would've certainly spared him a lot of trouble.

He hears steps approaching and looks up to see Sabo walking toward the car. Ace drops his train of thought as Sabo sits down at the other end of the rear bench and closes the door. His face has turned grey, even from such a small exercise like walking from the hut to the car. Ace's mind clouds with worry.

Sabo's scent, a mix of sweet spice and blood, immediately fills his nose. Still as captivating as it was before. Fuck.

"So? What's this about?" Sabo asks, the annoyance and also the exhaustion clear in his voice. And on his face.

"Have you considered the possibility that the reason we got attacked was because of Luffy?" Ace gets to the point straight away. No need beating around the bush.

Sabo's eyes narrow. "Keep going."

"Come on, it's not that deep. Your boss told you about a tracking device that's supposed to sit somewhere underneath his skin. We look for it – and suddenly fucking airplanes are approaching and someone shoots a missile at us. Do you think that's a coincidence?" Ace growls.

Sabo lets out a sigh and runs a hand through his hair. Ace is impressed his hair still looks golden and handsome, despite half the forest stuck in it.

"I know, this…it's gotta be connected somehow…," he acknowledges after a moment.

"So do you _actually_ think it's a good plan to take him to your base? I don't give a damn about your hive, but since I'm currently stuck here with you and I expect a pay out of this bullshit, I thought I should make it clear to you that this could be a bad idea."

"Well, he's fine right now. Except – I mean, did you have to use a Hades blade on him? It could've killed him, actually I'm wondering why he isn't…" Sabo mumbles. His body is curling in on itself. He looks uncomfortable. Ace has an idea, why.

"You should've seen him. He went absolutely nuts, no reason left in him. He was behaving like a normal mutation that's been starving for months. I would've killed him anyways, so I tried the Hades blade," Ace explains with a shrug.

"Have you ever used it on a mutation before?"

"No."

"So you didn't know what would happen?" Sabo barks.

"Dude, pipe down. He's fine, so no need to make a fuss," Ace grunts. "More importantly, what's the plan if shit like that happens again?"

"What do you mean?"

Ace swallows a snarky comment and then says, slowly and patiently, as if he was talking to a toddler: "What is the plan if we either get attacked or Luffy goes berserk again?"

As Sabo doesn't reply, Ace sighs and leans back more comfortably. "You're in a shit condition and we don't know how quickly Luffy recovers. We know nothing about him, if he gets stronger, when he might go nuts again – we don't even know how sucking our blood could change him. This is risky, Sabo."

Still, no reply.

"Sabo. I'm being honest here. What if shit goes south again?"

"We'll have to stop him."

"You mean _I_ will have to stop him, since you can barely walk on two feet."

"Well and whose fault is that?" Sabo snarls.

"Well if you'd not pulled that bullshit back in Luxor I would've – ah, whatever," Ace growls. "You're being way too lenient with this. With him."

Sabo eyes him for a long moment until his eyes grow so narrow the blue of his irises becomes nearly invisible and a shadow crawls across his features.

"This is not about our safety, is it? You're just jealous."

"That's –"

Suddenly the leather of the seat creams as Sabo's fingers claw into the back rest and within a heartbeat the man is in front of Ace, his knees pinning Ace's thighs to the seat and his free hand yanking at his collar. Even through the fabric of his shirt he feels Sabo's razor-sharp talons. Even with the anger hardening his features he looks so handsome and wild Ace's heart skips a beat and he hates how he is reminded of times he's tries so hard to forget, of moments together he'd wished had never happened. Sabo's fangs are long, reaching way past his bottom lip and the need for blood lets him tremble above him.

Ace's hand grabs Sabo's wrist. "I –"

"Shut up. I don't want to hear it," Sabo growls, his voice so deep and raspy it vibrates through Ace's skull. He swallows dryly. The sudden proximity makes his blood rush through his body.

With another sharp movement Sabo shoves him back against the back rest. Ace could've stopped him, but actually he doesn't want to. Because despite how mad this situation is, it's also turning him on beyond belief. Sabo climbs on top of him and with another yank he pulls Ace's head to the side.

"You offered, remember?" Sabo murmurs.

He is so light on his lap, and yet so strong and powerful – Ace has a hard time keeping his hands to himself as he feels the man move closer until their chests are nearly flush together and Sabo's hot breath dances like a caress over his neck.

"I did," he replies.

"Don't think anything of this," Sabo whispers and his tongue tentatively starts licking over Ace's neck. The sudden action sends the blood down between Ace's thighs and he grits his teeth as his loins start to pulse.

 _Fuck. I've waited two centuries for this…_

"Won't you be sad if I don't?" Ace answers in a low voice. He carefully wraps an arm around Sabo's trembling torso and pulls him even closer. "Don't you want me to think of you?"

"No I don't," Sabo breathes. "Just bullshit comes around when you do."

These words hurt more than Ace expected.

He tightens his hold and now feels Sabo's fangs graze over his skin, right above his pulsing vein. Sabo has to know how much this affects him, how much this turns him on. Ace isn't hiding it, either. Ace turns his head and for a moment their eyes meet.

Ah, shit. He also didn't expect his heart to leap like that, almost out of his chest.

"I wouldn't do this if I didn't have to," Sabo says sharply. The blue of his eyes is gone.

"You sure about that?" Ace shoots back.

Because they both feel the other's body way too closely to buy cheap lies. He can feel the tension in Sabo's body, and he feels it, the soft rocking of his hips, the secret search for more contact, for more friction – Ace's heart stumbles out of rhythm as once more he sees scenes from before, from so many years ago when he'd been less bitter and angry.

And just stupid, hopelessly in love. Alas with the wrong man.

This man.

He's about to open his mouth again, to say something, possibly something he'll regret once this moment ends, but then he feels a sharp, piercing pain in his neck and he remains silent. Sabo's fangs dig into his skin and a moment later his neck is wet from his own blood and Sabo's greedy tongue lapping it up.

Drinking blood from someone else is not inherently sexual. Sure, in films and books it oftentimes is, but it really depends on the situation and the person it's happening with. In many instances, for vampires the whole deal is just about quenching one's thirst. Not about getting off. When Ace had fed from the human man living here, there'd been nothing sexual about it. He'd needed blood and the guy had provided it. No more, no less, no traitorous reactions from his body.

But this…

With Sabo…

This is different.

Sabo's arm wraps around his neck and he lets his head fall to the side, to give him more access. A deep sigh escapes his lips as Sabo's fangs dig in once more, to increase the blood flow. His arm slides from Sabo's back down to his waist and he carefully pulls him even closer, until they're pressed together so tightly that he can feel Sabo's heartbeat drumming in his chest and the excited trembling of his body.

His own heart jumps so quickly he's afraid his ribs may break. Despite the heat between them, the rising temperatures inside the car, he feels shivers run along his spine and a strange uneasiness settling in his core. He swallows dryly.

Fuck. It's been decades since he's been this nervous.

He listens to the gentle lapping of Sabo's tongue, his familiar way of breathing, the elegant movements of his body – he recognises them all, he didn't think he would, but he does, and somehow his chest grows tight and an old sadness surfaces in his mind.

He bites his lower lip and fixes his eyes upon the roof of the car.

He didn't think he'd still feel this way. After all this time.

His heart honestly is one persistent piece of shit.

* * *

 **Luffy**

The drive is quiet. Uncomfortably so. Luffy sits in the back, whereas Ace and Sabo are at the front. Ace's eyes are glued to the bumpy forest road, whilst Sabo's head is bowed, his face illuminated blue from his phone screen. They have barely said a word since they departed.

He didn't really know what to expect, but they didn't take anything from the human's cabin, except his car. Somehow Luffy thought they'd perhaps take food or anything, but they didn't. He would've felt bad if they'd done so, to be honest. They already stole the guy's car, there's no need to take any more.

A part of the rear bench is folded and Ace's and Sabo's scythes peak out from inside the boot. It's the first time he sees them this close.

As Luffy touches them, they feel cool underneath his fingers, but not freezing; the material is amazingly smooth, he doesn't notice any bumps or uneven bits. The blades are long and deadly and reach nearly all the way over to Luffy's lap. He hopes Ace is a careful driver – one hasty turn and these things could slice him apart.

He sniffs the air. The smell of fresh blood is strong back here; he can imagine what happened whilst the two men had been outside. Well, he can imagine several things happening, and the imaginations alone make him grit his teeth. He doesn't know why, though.

He lifts a hand to curl his now white strand of hair around his finger. He wanted to ask about it, but somehow…the silence is so tense he feels one word might explode in a heated argument. Ace and Sabo have been bickering from the beginning, but this situation now feels different.

And honestly, it pisses Luffy off. He doesn't care what history these two have – which is a lie – but he has more pressing questions right now.

Like, where the fuck are they going exactly?

And when the hell can he leave and go back home, if his home even still exists, and contact his friends?

He waits for another ten minutes which rather feel like ten hours, until he clears his throat.

"How long are we gonna drive?" he asks.

"…About another four hours," Sabo replies, no emotion in his voice.

* * *

They are silent again. Luffy is staring out the window, he watches the dark forest passing them by and he feels himself growing sleepy, when Sabo's phone starts ringing and he flinches harder than he should.

Ace, however, doesn't even react. Sabo lifts the noisy thing to his ear.

"Yeah?"

Silence. Them:

"WHAT?"

His head whips around to stare at Ace and this time Ace looks back, his brows raised and otherwise a look of annoyance clouding his expression.

"Ah fuck, alright, we'll go there –"

The call ends.

"What?" Ace and Luffy asks at the same time, though Luffy sounds a lot friendlier.

"What is it, Sabo?" Luffy repeats.

"We gotta change the route. Apparently we lost contact to Sanji – my friend from the hive – and Robin said we need to go and collect him."

"What if he's dead?" Ace asks, unimpressed.

"Vampires don't die so easily. It's a detour, but we have to find him," Sabo shoots back.

Luffy vaguely remembers that phone call, just before that air missile hit the house. Well, if the three of them survived that, it's a good chance Sabo's friend survived it as well.

Ace sighs. "Fine then, whatever. Which way?"

"Follow this road another two miles and then turn left…"

The minutes bleed into another hour of occasional remarks and otherwise brooding silence. Luffy's attention drifts from the two men in front of him to the unchanging landscape outside and back. His mind wants to wander, but every time he gets anywhere near his memories of the events three years ago – and all that came after – a menacing pain starts throbbing in his head. It's infuriating.

Yes, he wants to know what happened to him, and more than that he wants to know how to turn normal again. But honestly he could accept any change in his body if he could only go home, go back to his friends and – and _live_. As a normal person.

As the one he was before.

He folds his hands in his lap and his nails clank together. He blinks and lifts his right hand to his eyes. His nails are longer than before; somewhat they keep elongating and then retreating back into his skin, depending on his mood. He clanks them together again. It's almost a sound as if porcelain knocked against each other. His nails are so hard… Curved and long, it reminds him of the claws of wild animals.

He thoughtfully looks out the window.

Not only does he want to get back to his old life, but he also wants to know who these fuckers were, who lured him to that laboratory and then…and then apparently locked him away for three years. Anger starts building in his chest, at the same time as the headache returns to his temples.

That day, after he'd stepped outside…urgh fuck, it's all so blurry.

But Luffy knows that he will find out what the hell happened. His gaze travels do his talons again.

And he'll make these people pay for what they've done to him. He's positive. He won't let them get away. He'll make them regret ever laying a hand on him…

He's so absorbed in his thoughts when Ace suddenly slams the brakes and he flies forward, his seatbelt nearly strangling him to death.

"Fuck!" Sabo barks – his phone crashes against the dashboard and then drops to the floor. "Ace!"

"Do you not see that?" Ace snarls and nods forward.

Luffy unfastens his seatbelt and then leans onto Ace's shoulder. He narrows his eyes. There, in the light cone of the high beam. It looks…like…

"Is that…?"

"It's a doe. Dead, I guess," Ace replies. He sounds grim.

They slowly approach. The doe rests on its side, belly toward them. And within a moment it's obvious that she wasn't hit by a car.

"Looks like someone was bored," Sabo mumbles flatly.

The animal was sliced open, from the throat all the way to the hips, and the organs scattered with macabre creativity over the width of the road. Well, at the very least what is left of the organs? The doe looks positively gutted.

Luffy feels goose bumps forming on his skin. He cranes his neck, but the forest around them is dark, impenetrable, no light gets past the thick barrier of wood and leaves. He swallows dryly.

"That…wasn't a vampire, was it?" he asks.

"No," Ace replies. His eyes dart from one side to the other.

"You think it was a –?" Sabo asks.

"Could be. But I think…," Ace stops and looks again. "I think it wasn't alone…"

"What are you talking about? What was it?" Luffy asks and his voice rises, although he doesn't mean to. It's just – his skin is prickling and he feels a disgusting feeling coiling in his stomach. Even his fangs grow longer. This isn't good. Something about this doesn't feel good at all.

Ace half turns around to them and his handsome face is thoughtful when suddenly there is a harsh knock at the driver's door.

They freeze.

 _"Sir, open the door! This is Police Officer Nero!"_

Luffy blinks. Where…wait, where the hell do the police come from now? There was no one behind them the entire time they've been driving…

He moves away from the window. There's a person standing beside Ace's door, but it's too dark to see anything.

 _"Sir, open the door!"_

Somehow, the voice sounds weird. Kind of forced…and very raspy, like the guy had a bad cold. Luffy frowns. Something's fishy…

"How convenient. We find a dead deer and run into the police, in the middle of the night on an empty forest road," Sabo whispers. He meets Luffy's gaze and he flashes him a brief grin. "Isn't this one hell of a coincidence?"

Luffy is about to reply when another knocking makes him flinch – this time it comes from the passenger door.

"Great," Ace sighs.

"This is not the police, is it?" Luffy asks, although he knows the answer.

Ace opens his mouth again when suddenly the roof of the car dents in with a dull sound of metal protesting. They all look up. The hairs on Luffy's neck stand on end.

"No, this is not the police," Ace says and his annoyed face turns excited.

Luffy stares at him. Is this a reason to be fucking delighted?! "Then what the fuck are they?"

Ace and Sabo turn around to him at the same time. And honestly Luffy has no idea why they look so happy as they reply:

"Wendigos."

* * *

 **To be continued.**

 **So, I hoped you enjoyed this chapter. There were a few more AceSabo moments in this one, but as I said, I will do my best to give all ships equal attention.**

 **Please leave comments and/or kudos, much appreciated xx**


	4. Chapter 4

**Hello everyone,**

 **first of all, I want to thank you again for all the encouraging comments and messages and the kudos you gave this fic. Your support is absolutely incredible and I'm so happy so many people seem to enjoy this fic :)**

 **It was a bit of a struggle with this chapter. There are so many questions that need to be answered, but putting everything I originally wanted explained in one chapter would've ended in a chapter that is probably 30k long. So I wanted to take a more relaxed approach to it.**  
 **So I hope this chapter does answer at least some questions. I'm hoping to deliver the next chap as soon as possible, and I promise Sabo and Luffy will have more quality time together ^^**

 **So, without further ado, please enjoy.**

 **I don't own One Piece nor any of the characters.**

* * *

 **Luffy**

Luffy honestly doesn't know why wendigos surrounding their car is a fucking reason to celebrate. And yet Ace and Sabo both look like two kids on Christmas day. He has trouble keeping his voice calm as he asks: "They're evil, aren't they?"

"Oh yes, definitely. They eat people," Ace says.

The banging against the doors has become louder, although the voices have gone silent.

"Sounds like there're three of them. So one for each of us," Sabo mumbles. Luffy can see that his fangs have elongated – his and Ace's scents have spiced up, layered with a darker tone that sends a chill down his spine.

"W-what are you talking about? Shouldn't we leave?" he hisses.

"No way. Their heads are worth a fortune," Ace replies.

Luffy blinks. "How much exactly?"

"About 70 grand each."

" _70.000 dollars?_ Are you fucking kidding me?!" he yells and Sabo looks at him warningly, meaning for him to keep it down.

Well, that changes the game. "I'm in. Definitely could use the money to pay back my student loans…"

He cracks his knuckles, which prompts Ace to look at him in the back mirror and the man flashes him a grin. "That's the spirit. But watch out, these guys are nasty."

"How nasty?"

"Their claws are mean. And don't let them bite you. If they got you between their jaws, it's near impossible to get out of there, you're more likely to lose a limb," Sabo explains. "A vampire from my hive, his name is Kuzan, he lost part of his leg after a bunch of these fuckers cornered him and his prey."

"I think I heard about that. Wasn't he battling a Lich? The Lich called a dozen wendigos to finish him off. But weirdly enough, the guy survived, only lost a foot. Which is quite…unusual," Ace says and turns in the driver's seat to grab his scythe and position it in a way that it's gonna make it easy to get it out of the boot, once it's open.

As he does that, he flashes Luffy another grin. His dark eyes are glowing hard and confidently. Yet his expression becomes a tone softer, Luffy thinks. But he might've also just imagined it. His heart does a surprised leap and he wonders if Ace noticed it as the observant man he is.

Ace turns back to the front. "How did that guy survive, anyways?"

"I once asked him how he'd done it, but he won't talk about it. I bet he made a deal," Sabo shrugs.

"A deal?" Luffy asks, but his voice is nearly drowned out by renewed banging, louder than before, echoing from the insides of the car.

His heart jumps inside his chest. This is splendid indeed. His fangs prolong in his mouth, his tongue licks over his lips. Man, he's so down for this. Forgotten are his damaged body, and the missile that nearly killed them just a day ago. Luffy grins at his mirror image in the darkened window. This could be fun.

* * *

Luffy's ears are drumming, his own heart is a roaring blizzard in his ears. He doesn't hear Ace or Sabo, he doesn't hear the screeching of the scythes across the asphalt, he doesn't hear the sound of slashed flesh and bones as Sabo sinks his weapon into that creature's torso.

Wendigos are exceptionally ugly. And they reek. It's probably to be expected since half-digested human flesh is still sitting between their yellow teeth. Luffy tries to breathe through his mouth as he rips his claws across that fuckers face, but the wendigo only snarls at him and he jumps back, his back colliding with the car.

He pants and wipes the blood from his face. He got a nasty gash across his thigh again, but it's not that deep. He feels exhaustion tug at his muscles. This has been going on for quite a while, a fight for life and death amidst silent trees, underneath a quiet night sky, only illuminated by the car's high beams. It seems unreal.

Ace shouts something and then a harsh wind whips the hair out of his face. Steel screams as it collides with the wendigo's rock hard teeth. It doesn't go through.

Luffy is sure that wendigos are shapeshifters, although he doesn't really know where he first heard about that. But apparently they can turn into humans. These ones, however – they remind him of misshaped, over-sized hyenas. Their fur is grey and sprinkled with darker spots, but he doesn't know if it is blood or dirt or sickness, he can't tell, and actually, he doesn't want to know, either. They're tall, taller than him by at least half a metre, they can move on four legs and on two, their limbs are long, but their bodies surprisingly slim.

They're fast. Nearly faster than Luffy.

He leaps to the side as the wendigo comes close again, he throws himself to the floor and a grunt escapes his throat as he lands on his bad shoulder.

He jumps back up. A weapon would be amazing. But he doesn't have one, so his fists must suffice.

"Come at me, asshole," he grins and lifts his bloodied hands.

The wendigo hisses at him. Its teeth are longer than Luffy's fingers.

"COME ON!" he yells and the wendigo jumps, the massive paws drum over the street and Luffy dodges the wild wing with the left.

He smashes his talons right into the wendigo's left eye.

He feels something slimy exploding and covering his fingers and with a disgusted yelp he jumps backwards. The wendigo howls so loudly his ears ring and he sees both Ace and Sabo turning to see what's going on. They're both not done yet, but their opponents look stricken. One is kneeling on the ground, fur dark from blood. Ace's wendigo even lost a leg.

Luffy shakes the remains of the creature's eyeball from his hand. This shouldn't take too long anymore. He shakes the trembling from his legs and breathes deeply. If this goes on for too long, he'd have a problem.

 _Although I'm not alone here. So it shouldn't be too bad… They'll help me if shit goes south…_

Overthinking has never been one of his fortitudes.

And that is why he reacts too slowly.

" _LUFFY!"_ he hears Sabo scream his name as an excruciating pain shoots up his left arm like a wildfire. He hears screaming and realises it is coming from his own mouth. He stares up and only sees a wall of teeth before him and blood dripping down on him from an empty eye socket.

 _How - ?!_

"LUFFY!" Sabo yells again.

He tries to move, but he can't feel his fingers. Panic rises in him. A dark hole opens in his chest.

 _Is my arm – ?!_

And next thing he knows is a whole waterfall of boiling blood covering him.

* * *

 **Sabo**

His heart lurches.

His breathing stops.

But not because of the wendigo, not solely.

"NO FUCK SANJI HE'S ONE OF US! STOP!" he screams so loud he sinks his vocal chords might rip.

He sinks his scythe into the wendigo in front of him and he sees the pain contorting the ugly muzzle, he sees more blood colouring the street crimson, but he doesn't feel satisfaction or glee, all he feels his cold, heavy _fear_ –

"HE'S ONE OF US! DON'T KILL HIM!" he yells again.

Sanji halts, the Hades blade lifted high over his head. Luffy's arm is still stuck in the muzzle of the now dead creature. And Sabo's hive mate is kneeling above him, ready to strike.

Of course Sanji can smell that Luffy is a mutation.

"SANJI! STOP!"

Sanji glares at him. His usually so bright, blue eyes are dark, the dried blood and grime on his face chase the dark circles beneath his eyes and the shadows underneath his cheeks. His skin is angry red and burned. His clothes are rags.

He looks like he walked right back into the Underworld and paid purgatory a visit. He doesn't seem in the condition to listen to the mad explanation Sabo will give him.

"Sanji, it's me, Sabo. Trust me, this guy is not our enemy!" Sabo tries and dodges another attack.

 _Man, this fucker is getting annoying –_

He jumps back and comes closer. "Trust me, Sanji. He's not our enemy."

"He's a goddamn mutation, Sabo," Sanji hisses. Even his fangs are bloody.

"It's a long story."

They glare at each other for what feels like a lifetime, but then Sanji lowers the blade and stands up. Though he doesn't put his weapon away, and he still eyes Luffy like a snake watches its prey.

"Need help?" Sanji asks him, most likely out of politeness than anything else.

"No, thanks."

Sabo is angry enough to behead this fucking wendigo with one strike. And that is exactly what he does.

* * *

The questions collide inside his head, but Sabo is too focused on treating Luffy's arm too voice any of them. They boy still looks positively shocked, although the colour slowly returns to his face. The wendigo's teeth sank deep and dug into the bone. A few moments more and…

He shakes the thought off and resumes drawing the needle and twine through damaged skin to close the wound. Luffy doesn't move, his eyes are dull.

Ace is still busy disconnecting and collecting the heads of these ugly-ass creatures They need them when they want to collect their reward, as proof that they've actually killed them. From the corner of his eye Sabo sees how Ace drags one beheaded body across the road, toward the trees. For a heartbeat their eyes meet.

Sabo looks away.

Which doesn't stop his heart from tumbling out of balance.

Sanji is sitting on the passenger's seat of the car and wraps a bandage around his badly burned right arm. From up close he looks even worse. Through the holes in his clothes Sabo sees large patches of angry burned skin, most of the wounds are weeping and Sabo's sensitive nose picks up a smell that should never come from a living body.

Alright, it's no surprise Sanji looks grim as hell. But at least he's alive.

"…I'm glad you got out of there," Sabo says carefully.

"…Yeah, same…," Sanji replies after a long moment. He sounds incredibly tired.

"But, how…?"

"I was unconscious and when I came to, the sun was almost rising. So I had to search for shelter. I walked and walked and found an old hide. Then my phone died. Then after nightfall I walked again. These forests are fucking endless," Sanji says, his tone dull. "Yeah, it's been a fucking dream."

"You smelled us?"

"I smelled the wendigos from miles away. Then I heard you guys. And then I smelled _him_."

He nods toward Luffy, who doesn't react.

"Sanji –"

Sanji shakes his head. The gold of his strands is covered by a thick layer or dirt and grime.

"Sabo, seriously, the fuck is going on? I find you protecting a damn mutation? And you're travelling with a stray vampire that doesn't even belong to our hive?! Who the fuck knows where he is from and what kinda assholes he's affiliated with! "

Ace looks over and Sanji lifts a hand. "No offence!"

"None taken."

"It's complicated," Sabo tries again.

"It always is with you," Sanji retorts, but then he shakes his head. "The past days have been nuts. I need blood asap. And I want to talk to Robin."

"We'll reach the base before dawn."

 _At least I hope so…_

"Hopefully. I won't rest until I know why a fucking military jet shot at me."

Sabo thinks it's not a good idea to let Sanji and Luffy sit next to each other, so he moves to the rear bench and Sanji remains in the front. Ace is driving faster than before. The whole deal with the wendigos took up precious time. Now they have to hurry.

* * *

Their base is located close by the coast. From outside it looks fairly inconspicuous, it's a two-storey building out of grey bricks, the roof is flat and has a landing spot for a helicopter. But it's just to confuse people – the building reaches thirty floors deep into the earth and it's more a small, complex city than anything else. Many of his hive members live there, when they're not stationed at an outpost like Sanji or Sabo. And there're not only vampires, but so many different creatures that live inside the base. There's even a human stationed, functioning as ambassador between Cipherpol 0 and the government.

It's been a while since Sabo has been home. But now that they're so close, he feels a childish excitement rise inside his chest. He's happy to see his friends again so soon. It's been quite a while. He sits behind Ace, so he can glance at Sanji. Although he doesn't smile, his expression has softened. Sabo can imagine what he's thinking about. Or rather _whom_ he's thinking of. Like sensing that Sabo is looking at him, Sanji turns his head and their gazes lock.

"It's been a while, huh?" Sanji asks. Something like optimism starts flickering in his otherwise dull eyes.

"Yeah," he grins. "How long have you guys not seen each other?"

"Couple years."

For a vampire a couple years is what a few weeks are to normal mortals. A few years are really not a big deal considering their infinitely prolonged lifespans. Yet it's Sanji they're talking about.

"You lasted that long with only phone sex?" Sabo asks, his brows lifting. He's honestly surprised at that. Sanji is a lot of things, but definitely not a saint.

"Dude, please. It's the 21st century," Sanji says.

Which isn't a good enough explanation for Sabo's tastes, but he'll have to wait for another time to discuss this in more detail…

The building rises up before them, framed by western hemlocks. The leaves remind him of needles, and the ever-lasting green of them makes an interesting contrast against the grey of the base and the endless black night sky. Behind the base, the trees reach about a kilometre further, until the coast begins. Their base is surrounded by wilderness, silence and beauty. As it should be, because where so many uncommon beings live together under one roof, one simply can't avoid chaos, tension and jest. And for humans, such chaos, tension and jest can quickly result in death. Or worse.

That's why the base of Cipherpol 0 is so far away from everything human. Sometimes Sabo wishes it was different.

It's a lonely place, by all means.

But then again, it's his home. And out of all the homes he's had in over 400 years, this one is by far the best.

* * *

 **Ace**

He's only _slightly_ irritated that the house doesn't have a door. Perhaps it's only natural for a rather secret organisation to not have a front door. Yet he finds it incredibly inconvenient as he pulls up the driveway until the car stands in front of the grey wall, a small blue ticket machine to his left. This looks like he'd drive into a parking garage, except there's nothing to pull into.

He glances at Sabo and then Sanji, that grim looking weirdo with the emo haircut, and then cranks the window.

"Press the button," Sabo says behind him.

"Thanks man, was wondering already what I should do with it," he replies sarcastically.

He presses the button. After a short moment of silence, a voice crackles out of the speaker.

"Identify yourselves, please."

He can't tell if it's a female or male voice. Sounds like both the same and neither.

He feels a hand on his shoulder as Sabo leans forward. Ace blinks, but doesn't move. He's surprised that Sabo is the one to initiate contact, even if it's as innocent as this. He really shouldn't think too much into it, but his heart begs to differ. And of course the stubborn rest of affection inside his chest starts jumping with excitement and inflates with new found hope.

"This is Sabo, CP0 code DK16410705 and Sanji, code…"

"Sanji, CP0 code FRA16971202."

So their Cipherpol 0 codes are just their death dates, paired with the country codes where they died. How…uncreative, Ace finds.

"We're both hunters from Cipherpol 0," Sabo adds.

A moment of silence. Then:

"Identification accepted. Who is with you?"

He clears his throat. "My name is Portgas D. Ace. I'm a freelance bounty hunter. You should find me in the official hunter data base."

"…We will do a retina scan. Please look ahead."

He sighs and does as he is told. A small, unimpressive camera next to the speaker starts humming, probably while it focuses on his eyes. He tries not to blink.

"…Identification accepted."

"And I'm Luffy, Monkey D. Luffy," Luffy announces hastily. Ace turns to see Luffy leaning forward, his heavily bandaged arm pressed against his torso. His face is crunched up with uneasiness.

"...We have no records of someone of this name."

"Tell Robin it's me, Sabo, and that we've got the mutation here with us," Sabo says. "She knows we're coming."

Ace can hear the impatience in his voice.

No answer. It stays silent, and the minutes start to stretch.

"…Well, this is going terrific," Ace sighs and stifles a yawn.

"Damn bureaucracy…," Sanji mumbles next to him. The man keeps licking over his overly elongated fangs. Ace could smell his blood lust from a mile away. "This takes so much time."

"It's because of me, isn't it?" Luffy says angrily behind them. "I didn't fucking ask to be –"

"You have permission to enter. Please wait for the lift to take you downstairs to the parking garage," the voice suddenly announces.

Ace looks into the back mirror and changes a glance with Sabo. The blond man nods. So this must be alright.

He's just about to ask where the hell a lift should be, when a deep rumbling starts vibrating through the car. He looks around and then sticks his head out the window – the noise is getting louder and louder and with slight panic he sees the fucking asphalt beneath them lower into the ground.

"Relax, it's normal," Sanji mutters next to him.

"And you couldn't say a damn word, huh?" he asks. He fastens the foot brake and they wait, silently watching the world disappear above them as they sink deeper and deeper into the darkness.

* * *

He's been to hunter quarters before, although on a different continent. But it's safe to say that the CP0 hasn't spared any costs to make their base as homely as possible. A thick burgundy carpet covers the floors and swallows every sound of their steps, the silver candelabras bask the hallway in a silvery, fresh morning light, despite the fact that they're at least ten metres beneath the earth's surface. Yet all of this seems like a teen had built their first house in "Sims", compared to the hunter headquarters he's visited in China and Thailand.

Ace glances around and sniffs the air. Seems like they're alone here. Sabo and Sanji are walking ahead, whilst Luffy is behind him. He glances at him. The boy looks nervous and tired. Ace pities him and slows down his steps to match the boy's pace.

"You alright?" he asks in a low voice, although he knows that the two men can hear him anyway. They're all vampires, after all.

"…Sure," Luffy replies and tries a tired grin. "Never been better."

Ace snorts but claps his bony shoulder. "That's what I wanted to hear."

"It won't take long," Sabo says, half turning around to them. Ace watches him flash Luffy a brilliant smile – and not spare Ace as much as a brief glance. He hates how his heart stings at that. "Down this hallway there's our, hm… receptionist waiting. After that we'll see if Robin wants to meet us now or if we should rest first and then meet her."

"And…Robin was…your boss?" Luffy asks.

"Yeah, she's the boss of the CP0. She's also the oldest vampire I know."

"How old?" Luffy wants to know.

"I don't know the exact year, but she was alive when Pompeii got buried beneath the ashes of the Vesuvius."

Ace's eyebrows race for his hairline. "Wow. That's actually _really_ old." He gets a little dizzy thinking about it. That was more than 2000 years ago.

"How old are you, anyway?" Luffy asks him and it takes Ace a moment to reply.

"I'm just a bit older than Sabo. I was 28 when I died in 1630."

"So you're…," Luffy falls silent for a moment. "You're 415!"

"Boy, time sure flies," Ace sighs. It doesn't feel like four centuries, though. More like a long, strenuous dream.

They continue on, when suddenly Sabo stops walking and turns around to him. Ace halts as well, just like Luffy and Sanji, who eye the man questioningly.

"What now, Sabo?" Sanji grumbles. "I need blood."

"I know, go on without us."

"What's going on, Sabo?" Ace asks. He doesn't like that look on the man's face. It might've been two centuries since they've seen each other – but he damn well remembers how Sabo's usual angelic face would cloud with trouble, whenever he's about to tell him something bad.

His stomach tightens.

"Well…"

"What?" he asks and he's about to reach for his scythe fastened on his back, but Sabo motions him to stop. Sanji has already disappeared behind the next corner.

"Our receptionist…she's… uhm, you probably won't like it, so you might want to prepare yourself…," Sabo says. The blue eyes stare to the side and avoid his gaze.

"What are you talking about?"

"She's a ghoul."

It's a common misconception that the older vampires become, the more… chill they are. Well, it's only correct in some cases. Pain and injuries, for example, are just another story to be bragged about. Vampires survive the most ridiculous situations and love to tell these stories with great exaggerations whenever they find an unfortunate listener. A lost limp means you get a new one out of steel and iron with lots of cool functions – a dream for every science fiction nerd. Going years and decades without sex – not a big deal, they have an eternity to try out every fucking position there exists, with as many people as they like. So yes, in terms of these topics, vampires are probably quite relaxed.

Yet there are exceptions.

Betrayal, for instance. Unrequited love. Wasted affection.

And a vampire heart is so quick to forget that it's immortal, and so it hurts and hurts and _hurts_. Pain worse than any physical injury. Especially if you've been so stupidly, hopelessly in love like Ace had been in love with Sabo.

He feels the coldness creep from the centre of his chest all the way to his fingertips and toes. He feels the familiar chill stretch across his skin and freezing every dangerous thought inside his mind. It's self-preservation. It happens when vampires are threatened to be taken over by their emotions. The coldness keeps them sane.

"Why…why is it so cold?" Luffy asks next to him, his breath dances as silvery mist before his face. Ace smells his confusion, as well as Sabo's worry.

"Ace…"

"You couldn't have mentioned that earlier, hm?" Ace asks through gritted teeth.

"Listen –"

"What are you talking about?" Luffy asks and Ace clenches his fists. Then he turns to look at the younger man.

"I nearly got killed by a bunch of ghouls after Sabo knowingly locked me in a tomb with them."

An uncomfortable silence builds inside the hallway, until Luffy exhales.

"Oh."

Ace closes his eyes for a moment and wills the coldness away. It leaves a draining sensation of fatigue in its wake.

"Ace –"

"Let's get this over with. I'm too tired for this shit."

* * *

 **Luffy**

He rolls around in these soft sheets that feel like touches of a stranger. It's not that the bed isn't comfortable – it is, but it's so soft he is almost swallowed by it, and he is not used to that. He is exhausted, yes, but so much happened in the last few hours or rather the last few days, and despite his physical fatigue, his mind can't find any rest. There is so much he has to think about, there are so many questions exploding in his head and the silence of his chambers only makes it worse. The noise in his head is overbearing.

To his surprise the whole deal with the ghoul hadn't taken long. He'd had to walk through a metal scanner, like the ones that are used at airports, but Sabo had said it also scanned for other things. He didn't specify what kind of things, but apparently the ghoul had found none and he'd been allowed through.

Also, after the incident with the wendigos, Luffy had thought that ghouls were similarly…ugly. But they're not, in fact this ghoul looked like a normal teenage school girl, dressed in a blue, clean school uniform. He wouldn't have thought it was a supernatural being at all, if it wasn't for Sabo telling him beforehand.

He'd stared at both Ace and Sabo in disbelief. Ace then had cleared his throat and told him: "They take on the shape of the last thing they've eaten."

After that, he couldn't wait to get away from that thing. Also, as Sabo had told him, wendigos are different from ghouls, because wendigos used to be normal humans who ate human flesh and thus turned into monsters. So they can only shapeshift into their former "self". Ghouls are different, apparently. They're "born" ghouls, or are created as such – Luffy couldn't really follow Sabo's hasty explanation. In any case, Luffy likes neither. All this human flesh involving insanity makes him feel weird.

After the security check, they'd walked through another pair of doors and went down a staircase. Then they'd gone through another door, guarded by vampires, Luffy assumes. And then they'd stood in the entrance hall of the CP0 base.

A vampire…with a medical degree apparently…had come and taken them to one of the base-own clinics. There they'd been patched up. After that another vampire came and told Sabo that Robin would want to meet them later tonight.

So Sabo had decided that they should all get rest. That's why Luffy is alone in this gigantic suite. Ace's is a few doors down the hall. Sabo's chambers are in another part of the base. Luffy doesn't know where.

He turns his face into the pillow that smells of nothing. He doesn't know why thinking about the handsome blond vampire makes his chest grow tight. He wishes he could talk to him. But Sabo is probably passed out in his room and even if Luffy knew where he was, he wouldn't have the heart to wake him up.

He sighs. And then he kicks the blanket away and slides off the sheets. This is futile. The more he lies awake, the less likely it is he'll find sleep any time soon. Might as well walk around a bit. He quickly pulls the clothes on that have been given to him by a grumpy looking vampire – dark jeans and a simple black hoodie – and walks through the spacious bedroom and living room toward the door.

The CP0 has been incredibly generous. They gave him a whole guest suite to stay in, all the gadgets that he wants and new clothes. Kind of surreal knowing that he is in fact staying in a secret underground base filled with blood-sucking vampires, and not in an extravagant five-star hotel somewhere in Europe.

His new phone tells him that it is 2pm – so basically the time where vampires are fast asleep. Although the base is underground and no one has to fear the scorching sunlight, Luffy doesn't meet anyone as he walks down the long corridors. Most doors are locked – he can't tell if there are rooms behind them, or whether they lead into different parts of the base. There are also countless staircases and lifts, but he decides to stay on this floor for the meantime. He already has a hard time remembering the way back to his room.

But curiosity and restlessness make him move forward nonetheless.

The ground is covered with dark blue carpet the shade of the night sky. The walls are majestic white, occasionally interrupted by paintings, sculptures or complicated shades and silhouettes painted onto the walls with golden paint. The corridors are enlightened by crystal lamps hanging at the ceiling.

Luffy feels an unsettling mix of fascination and disgust. Just how much money does the government pump into this organisation?

 _But nah, they still think 10 dollars an hour is exaggerated…_

He halts as he stands in something that looks like a lounge, decorated with sofas, a table, plants and a TV is plastered against one wall. Three hallways continue in every direction. There's a lift on the left-hand side and on the opposite side, large double doors are situated. A golden plate next to it says that it is the eastern entrance of the library.

Luffy blinks.

And approaches. He opens one of the doors -they're heavy, but swing open without a sound. He walks through, and as he lets go of the handle, the door shuts silently behind him.

It is probably the biggest library he has ever seen. Actually, he didn't think libraries this big existed. The hall is as big as a cathedral and from what Luffy can tell, it goes over several floors. Like an arena, the middle of the floor is open and he can see at least ten floors down. At the very bottom he sees a fountain with a marble sculpture of Athena in the middle of it.

He looks around. The walls are rich oaken and probably thousands of bookshelves bend underneath the weight of the literature. Next to them are countless desks standing in a row, each with an iMac on top of them. Further away he sees a shelf full with tablets and laptops. He sees TVs everywhere. Whiteboards. Projectors. The newest technology side by side with books that seem like they have seen countless centuries pass by.

He's in awe. How can this be, this place seems modern and ancient at the same time. Honestly, this has got to be the most amazing library in the world.

"Speechless?" an unfamiliar voice says behind him and he jerks around, fists lifted before him.

A woman stands behind him. Stunningly beautiful as he registers with a leaping heartbeat. She has tanned skin and long black hair that reaches all the way down to her hips. Dark blue eyes gaze calmly at him, from a face that seems to be designed after Athena herself. Her lips are pulled into a smile.

Luffy stares at her. She's got to be the most beautiful woman he's ever seen.

She's clad in a simple white tunic with black leggings. One could mistake her for a human, albeit a gorgeous one. But as she opens her mouth, she reveals her fangs. Luffy doesn't know why he is so certain, but somehow he is sure that this is Robin. Sabo's boss and the head of this organisation.

He swallows dryly. Suddenly his mouth is parched.

 _She's the one who told Sabo about a tracker and all that other shit…_

"I didn't mean to frighten you," Robin says to him. Her voice is like a hug.

He doesn't understand for a moment, until he realises that he still has his clenched fists lifted before him. He slowly lowers them to his sides.

"…Yeah…," he whispers. He can't tell if he should be frightened or not.

She approaches him slowly and then stretches out her hand. "My name is Robin. I'm the head of the CP0."

He hesitantly grabs her slim hand and shakes it briefly. Her skin is warm and soft. He quickly lets go.

"M-Monkey D. Luffy. But you know that already, right?" he asks.

"Indeed." She nods toward the next staircase. "Let's walk a bit, shall we?"

* * *

The water happily burbles out of countless little openings at the feet of the platform Athena stands on. The marble statue of the goddess towers above them, majestic and intimidating. They sit down on the edge of the fountain. Luffy's hand dips into the crystal clear water. It's cold and helps to calm his nerves.

"Are you satisfied with your rooms?" Robin wants to know.

"Ah yes – yes, of course, thank you for the clothes, you know, and the phone," he hastily says. "That was very generous of you."

"You're very welcome." She smiles at him and leans back comfortably.

She stretches her long legs out in front of her and radiates such ease and tranquillity, Luffy wonders for a moment why he still feels so nervous. She doesn't know him, he doesn't know her but somehow, this moment makes him feel like he just sat down with a friend he has missed for a long time. It's odd, but comforting.

"I briefly spoke to Sabo about what happened in the past few days since he attacked you. But I'd like to hear your side of the story. Would you mind telling me what exactly happened the moment you...woke up? Or realised that you were in a forest?"

Luffy clears his throat. A warning throbbing starts in his left temple, but he ignores it. He tries to put order in his thoughts, he tries to make sense of everything that happened – but it's so difficult, because time suddenly is a strange concept, and he misses three entire years of memories. It's hard to understand his own head, when it feels like the most important part is missing.

"Well...I... it's...," he tries, and stops. Robin smiles reassuringly.

He tries again. "What I...what I remember is waking up. It was late evening. I woke up in the middle of a forest. I was disoriented and I...I can't remember how I got there. And I felt restless and hungry." Yeah, the hunger was so dominant, so scary inside of him.

"I started walking and my body felt raw, like I was recovering from the flu or so...and at the same time it felt different. Like I didn't recognise myself."

"How long where you walking?"

"I tried to find people, so I kept walking, but I got tired soon, and rested in an abandoned shack. I rested the entire day. And the following night, I noticed someone following me."

"Sabo?"

He nods.

"So... you don't remember how you came to be in the forest?"

"The last thing I remember was driving down to a laboratory from my home. I read an ad, they were looking for probands. After that, nothing." He exhales slowly. The ache inside his heart starts acting up again. It is so much worse than the pain inside his skull. "Apparently, that happened three years ago."

Robin remains silent for a moment, before Luffy suddenly feels a warm hand on his shoulder and he flinches violently.

A second later his stomach burns with shame. Just how fucked up is he for having such a reaction to a kind gesture? He internally curses himself. He needs rest and he seriously needs to get back on track. This is nuts.

Bitterly he thinks that before, when he was still human and his life still normal, he never would've flinched because someone touched him.

"I'm sorry for what happened to you, Luffy," the woman says and Luffy really wants to believe that she means it. "And I'll try and help you in any way I can."

He smiles weakly: "Thank you."

"I assume Sabo told you about a tracking device and data storage?"

"Yeah, he mentioned something."

"I won't go into detail now, but what we know is that mutations like you are made artificially. By humans, we assume, but we are not entirely sure yet. We don't know yet how they do it, nor the reason why – although we do have some theories. But what we do know is that they install tracking devices in some of the mutations, as well as data storages."

"But why?"

"The tracking device is self-explanatory, I believe. The data storage is a mystery. Roughly ten days ago one of our hunters killed a mutation and cut the data storage out of them. We decoded it and found out the person's identity, as well as other personal data. But there are also several files enclosed that are hard to decipher. We think they might be parts of a manual or something like that."

"But why would they put a data storage on us that we can't use unless it's cut out of us?" Luffy asks. His head is spinning. This is crazy.

Robin sighs. "Well, there are lots of possible explanations for that, but perhaps whoever makes mutations out of humans probably has a mole among their midst. There are so many creatures in this world, Luffy. They all have their own agenda. So until we know, we can only hope that this person is on our side."

* * *

He wakes up what feels a century later. His head is heavy, the weight of all this new information bears down on him. He turns in those sheets that are too soft to be meant for human skin, and buries his face in the pillows. With one hand he fishes his new phone from the night stand. It's past 8pm. Most vampires would be awake by now, Luffy assumes.

Robin had walked him back to his room earlier. She's really nice. And it's so hard to imagine that she has been alive longer than Luffy can even imagine. She seems wise, yes, but...it's hard to explain. Perhaps 'timeless' is the right way to explain her presence.

She also showed him a stock of blood bag supplies stored in a small fridge in the living room. Human blood, she'd explained. It tastes different than Sabo's or Ace's blood. Not bad, but...somehow bland. Whilst vampire blood is like liquid fire pulsing through his body...

He licks his lips. But for now, his hunger is sated. He feels well-rested, and his injuries barely hurt anymore. Truly this abnormal metabolism is incredible.

She said they'd talk later, no specific time mentioned. O that's basically at any point between now and sunrise. He sighs to himself. He'll be bored out of his mind.

His eyes wander to the side. Well...

* * *

When Ace opens the door to his quarters, Luffy doesn't exactly know why his heart skips a beat upon his sight. He cleaned up – no traces of blood and dirt are left on his tanned skin. He's clad leisurely in grey joggers and a black hoodie. Looking at him like that, no one would think he's a vampire. Just a normal, yet insanely handsome human.

Luffy flops down on one of the sofas and looks around. The guest suite Ace got looks just like the one he's staying in. It's essentially the same expensive furniture, except the colours are a little different here. Whereas Luffy's rooms are predominately decorated in red, Ace's are navy blue. It suits the man, Luffy finds.

"I'm surprised you're here to visit me," Ace smirks.

"Surprised or disappointed?" Luffy asks and Ace's smirk becomes wider.

"You're perceptive. That's good."

Well, it's not like it was exactly subtle between Ace and Sabo.

"You did try to murder him, though."

"If I'd meant it, he would've been dead," Ace disagrees and leans back. "He knows that." His dark eyes fix Luffy's. His gaze is calm, yet attentive. "However, I'm still curious. Why are you here? Why not in Sabo's quarters?"

Luffy feels heat rising to his cheeks and he looks away. "I felt like talking to someone…"

"Because you know that you guys would fuck the moment you're through the door?" Ace snorts and he flinches.

"Wait, hold on –"

"I've been alive for four centuries. I know sexual attraction when I see it," Ace says dryly. "So what brings you here?"

He bites his lower lip. "Don't you have a problem with that?"

"With what?"

"Me. And Sabo, whatever it is."

Ace's smirk nearly cuts his face open. His eyes, however… his eyes are a smouldering fire, a rising tide. Luffy wishes he could look away, but he can't. Actually, he doesn't want to, either.

"You've known Sabo for what – three days? I don't blame you for wanting him. He's the type of guy who only has to smile and everyone falls for him."

Luffy's cheeks are on fire, because Ace just nailed it with his description. It's actually…really accurately what happened to Luffy. Sabo's smile is just magical, enchanting – and oh so dangerous.

Ace stands up and walks over to the various types of liquor bottles lined up on a shelf on the right hand side of the living room. He studies the names and brands, until he reaches for a bottle and turns around to him.

"You fancy rum?"

"Hell yeah."

Ace's smile becomes a tone softer. "Good boy. Nothing like rum. Has always been that way."

He returns with two glasses.

"This is dark rum, has been ageing for three decades. You usually drink dark rum straight, but feel free to mix it however you like."

"I can drink it straight," he replies and reaches for the glass. The brownish liquid gleams alluringly in the light of the candelabra above. "It's just been ages since I've had alcohol."

"You're a vampire now," Ace grins and lifts his own glass. "Hangovers are rare, let me tell you."

Luffy snorts and they clank glasses. He looks Ace in the eyes while he does it and he sees something like pleased surprise in his calm gaze. He usually doesn't do that – or he didn't use to do that before – but in this case, he finds it so, _so_ hard to look away from him. They drink. The liquid has a pleasing sweet flavour to it, but Luffy also tastes the hint of spices that remind him of sunsets and beaches. He swallows.

"So you know your manners," Ace comments.

"What do you mean?"

"Looking people in the eyes when clanking glasses. In my opinion it's politer, but they don't do that everywhere. In some countries yes, others no."

Luffy won't tell him that he only did because he's too mesmerised by his face, so he just hums and takes another sip. The liquor pleasingly burns in his stomach.

"But to answer your question: No, I don't have a problem with you and Sabo. If anything, I'm worried that he might slice your throat once he's had his way with you. He's charming, but also a backstabbing piece of shit. And I experienced that first-hand."

The irrational side of him feels angered at Ace's blunt words, although he knows he shouldn't. But the other, albeit smaller part of him knows that he's being a fool, thinking that he, a technically 25-year-old human turned into an abnormal vampire-like mutation, could ever have someone like Sabo, a century-old vampire. Well, have him for longer than a night. Luffy exhales slowly and then takes a longer sip from his rum. He wishes he'd feel the intoxicating effect already. But alas…

 _What was I even expecting…?_

 _And honestly, I have more important fucking problems than caring about whether a vampire likes me back..._

"You know I'm right," Ace continues, zero compassion in his words. "He looks and sounds like an angel, but he's rotten to the core."

"But... I mean, perhaps he has changed?"

"I'd like to believe that, but I honestly doubt it."

"But you still love him, right?" Luffy replies and that makes Ace go silent for a moment.

Luffy watches his face close off for a moment, before a shadow of sadness washes across his features. Luffy nearly feels bad for asking, but then the man sighs.

"I guess I do. But it's hard to tell after such a long time."

"Although he tried to have you killed?" A fact Luffy still struggles to wrap his head around. Why would Sabo do something like that? He should probably ask him...for his own safety more than for his morbid curiosity.

Ace takes a sip from his rum and then slowly turns the glass in his hand. He has really nice hands, Luffy notices.

"I've been trying to understand this, but it's... no matter how I look at it, me still liking him is insane. But I can't stop. Hearts are stupid like that."

"But you're a vampire," Luffy protests.

Ace grins. This time, however, it looks sad: "Being a vampire doesn't save you from feelings, Luffy."

They both keep silent for a while. Ace is checking his phone, while Luffy secretly watches him. Ace can probably tell that he is being observed, but he doesn't mention it. His long crucifix earring dangles from his ear. It looks so adventurous and wild, Luffy likes that. It suits the man incredibly.

 _He could play a pirate in a film or so..._

And that thought makes Luffy halt.

"Ace?"

"Hm?"

"Can I ask you something?"

"Sure, go ahead," Ace replies and puts his phone down.

"What..I mean, I hope I'm not being rude, but can I ask what...what you've been before becoming a vampire? I-I mean I was a normal university student," Luffy says. He feels silly asking. It's probably private...

"Oh, I was a pirate," Ace grins.

Luffy blinks. "I was being serious-"

"So was I. I was a pirate in the 17th century. I was born in Singapore in 1602."

Luffy gapes at him. Well, it does explain his love for rum...and his aura of danger, mischief and freedom that draws Luffy in like an enchanted spell. He looks into his handsome face and tries to imagine him, atop a pirate ship, sailing across the endless oceans back then. He can imagine it so easily.

"So... you were a pirate and...then you became a vampire?"

"Pretty much, yeah."

"Does that mean anyone can become a vampire?"

"It's...ah, a bit more complicated than that. A number of factors have to come together for you to become a vampire. Most humans die and stay dead, right?"

Luffy nods. That has always been his idea of the after-life. But now, encountering all these dead-but-not-dead-anymore humans turned vampires gives him a whole new perspective.

"How many a year?"

"Pardon me?"

"How many people are...are becoming vampires a year?"

"Globally?" Ace shrugs thoughtfully. "That's a good question. I think I once heard somewhere that there're about 3000 to 4000 new vampires each year, but I don't know if that is legit."

"But – _how_ do people become vampires? I mean, I can't remember a thing..."

"Oh, the boss hasn't told you yet? Or Sabo?" Ace seems surprised.

He shakes his head.

Ace leans back against the pillows. "I don't really know if I should be the one to tell you. Maybe someone else should explain it, not me."

He wants to argue, but something about Ace's face convinces him otherwise. Disappointed, he takes his phone out and checks the time. He's been here for over an hour. His heart flips. Time is so relative when he talks to Ace. He admires the man's ability to keep a conversation interesting, even if there are moments of silence in-between. It doesn't feel uncomfortable. Actually more comforting than Ace probably knows.

About ten minutes later, Luffy decides to take his leave. Not necessarily because he wants to, but he feels that he should look for answers – and although he's gotten plenty from Ace, he wants to talk to Sabo and to Robin and anyone else who might give him an idea on how to get back to his old life. And the sooner he starts that endeavour, the sooner he'll hopefully be back reunited with his friends.

Hope blossoms inside his chest at the thought of seeing his friends again. Man, it would take days to make them understand what happened to him.

* * *

He makes his way down the corridor. A few vampires pass him by, and some of them even greet politely, although their eyes wander his body up and down. The nonchalant interest makes him feel strange. All these vampires can probably tell who he is – of course, they can smell it. Luffy is glad no one openly tries to kill him, but knowing that all of them could and probably would, once given the order, is unsettling for sure.

He is absent-mindedly walking toward the library. He could try and kill some time there. Not that he's especially fond of books, but perhaps he could use one of the computers there, or watch TV. He's halfway there, when his phone starts buzzing inside his pocket with an incoming text. He halts, dumb-founded. Who the hell would have his number?

Turns out, Sabo does. His text is simple, and yet it makes Luffy's heart vibrate with excitement.

 _-Hey, this is Sabo. You awake already? Wanna meet?_

He quickly types a reply.

 _-Yeah, on my way to the library right now. Where are you?_

 _-I'll meet you there_

He blinks and then shoves the phone back into his pocket. Then he walks twice as fast. His heart already flies ahead of him. For a moment he wonders how Sabo got his number so quickly – but then he neglects that thought. He can't wait to see him again...

* * *

 **To be continued.**

 **Thank you for reading! Please leave a comment xx  
**


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